Among the Ruins
by wolfraven80
Summary: NelxClair The war between Airyglyph and Aquaria may be over, but now strange rumours are coming from within Aquaria’s borders of a plot to overthrow the kingdom itself.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** As stated in the summary this fic contains the Nel/Clair ship and is also centred on those two characters. If you don't like it, don't read it– simple as that. Also, the first half of the opening scene of chapter one is based on the dialogue from the (so-called) Nel/Fayt ending so it obviously contains spoilers for said ending. The dialogue for that portion of the story was taken word for word from the game's script though, of course, the narration is my own invention, as is the dialogue from the point Tynave and Farleen take off. There's also reference to the Adray ending so there are possible spoilers for that too. I thought I should mention, if anyone doesn't have time to play through all the endings but is curious about them, there's a transcription of the SO3 script available on gamefaqsdotcom and there's a link to it on my profile.

Constructive criticism is always welcome. Flames on the other hand will be promptly extinguished and their smouldering remains, ignored.

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I do not own Star Ocean or the characters therein.

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**Prelude**

_We've known each other since we were children, back before the war, before we knew anything of fighting and blood and death. We did our chores, studied our lessons, and played at war with wooden swords. I was always the faithful soldier and she, my stalwart commander. Some things have never changed._

_As we grew older we trained in earnest and our swords were now of steel. I became a soldier like my father who was a great commander of the Aquarian forces. I took after my father, Nevelle Zelpher... more... than Clair took after hers. She understands the art of war and hers is a more subtle skill than the brute battle-strength of Adray Lasbard. She understands the way a change of wind or the slant of a hill will affect the outcome of a battle, the best strategy to make up for a weak left flank or to take advantage of the enemy's. I was always satisfied to fight and trust her to know best when and where._

_I remember, even in our teens, the secret thrill of her body against mine when we trained in hand to hand combat, gripping her against me whenever we practised holds and locks, or, when our positions were reversed, the whisper of her breath against my neck. We were nineteen the first time we made love. It was uncertain, and awkward, and beautiful._

**Chapter One**

You were never far from the sound of flowing water here on the grounds of Castle Aquaria. And though it was oftentimes quite soothing, today Fayt only found it tiresome as the rush of water tended to cover other sounds and make it more difficult to find someone when you were looking for them. Case in point, his current quarry. He spotted them long before he could hear them, even though they were training; the sounds of the water covered even their battle cries.

Fayt set out towards Nel, Tynave, and Farleen at a jog, relieved to have finally found them. He'd been told they were training on the grounds, but it had taken him nearly an hour to track them down. "Oh! There you are. Hey!" he called out once he was close enough to be heard over the nearby waterfall.

Nel turned from her two officers, whom she'd been sparring with and glanced in Fayt's direction. "Oh, hey there, Fayt."

"Just a 'hey there'? Hey there yourself! I've been looking for you since yesterday." He'd been trying not to take it personally, but he felt almost as if Nel had been trying to avoid him, though, for the life of him he couldn't figure out why she might be doing so. He couldn't help but worry that it had something to do with his last visit just shortly after their battle with Luther. She'd seemed particularly frosty when he'd left. But he'd hardly seen her, hardly talked to her that time as he'd only had a few days on Elicoor, most of which had been spent avoiding Adray after he'd tried to set him up as Clair's husband.

"My apologies," said Nel. "What can I do for you?" Definitely frosty.

"'What can I do for you?' Is that all you have to say?"

"Well what else is here?"

Fayt sighed. "Never mind." He'd expected her to ask how he was, how the others were, or, at the very least, what he was doing on Elicoor. She'd never been one to mince words, but this was ridiculous. "So, I see you three are training very hard," he said without missing a beat. Maybe if he just pretended nothing was wrong things would get back to normal. After all, he had news...

"That's right," replied Tynave, "we've been sparring with Lady Nel. But even two against one, she doesn't even break a sweat."

"I see. Be careful you don't get hurt," he teased, a grin appearing on his face. "Cuz this lady can't control herself sometimes."

Nel turned to glare at him, her expression stony. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said. You let little things get on your nerves." And he was going to find out what little thing had gotten under her skin even if it killed him. And it just might, he thought as he saw the look on her face.

Farleen was nodding. "Yes, she keeps her emotions bottled up, but you have to watch out when they finally break out."

"And she gets so jealous," added Fayt. He must have hit a nerve because she was scowling now, her lips thinned to a line, but Tynave seemed oblivious and barrelled on.

"Like that time she saw you and Lady Clair talking together. She was in a bad mood for days!"

"What–"

"I can't believe you said that, Tynave," Farleen said, cutting across Fayt. Fayt was certain he'd hit on something as he watched Tynave colour, looking from Fayt to Nel whose expression closely resembled the one she wore when they were about to go into battle.

"Oh no... now we're in for it." Tynave turned to Farleen, looking rather panicked. "What should we do, Farleen?"

"Tynave, is your head full of rocks?" squeaked Farleen. "Best not push our luck. I told you to keep your mouth shut because we don't want to get caught up in this."

_Caught up in what?_ Fayt wondered, mind reeling, but they kept gabbling as he watched in utter confusion.

"I'm sorry, Farleen! But I didn't realize what a nasty mess we were in until you told me."

"Shh! You don't have to yell." And indeed their raised voices were carrying over the rumbling of the falls and attracting curious looks from the soldiers and inhabitants of the castle who were crossing the grounds.

Fayt turned to get a quick glance of Nel, who remained standing with her arms crossed over her chest, looking singularly displeased with her two subordinates, and hastily looked back over towards Tynave an Farleen. This was not going quite the way he'd hoped... "Well hey w– wait a second! What are you talking about? I was talking about work..."

"Of course you were. Don't mind them. I don't know what they're going on about," said Nel evenly with a shake of her head.

Fayt turned just in time to see Tynave and Farleen dashing away. "Excuse us!" called Tynave over her shoulder.

"Enjoy yourselves!" added Farleen.

Nel was still scowling but then sighed and shook her head as she watched the retreating figures of her two subordinates. When she began walking across the grounds in the opposite direction Fayt hesitated only a moment before falling into step behind her. Once more, the roar of tumbling water filled his ears, but it did nothing to soothe his jumbled thoughts. Nel, walking a pace ahead of him, her expression grim, held herself rod-straight and Fayt reviewed in his mind what Tynave and Farleen had said. Jealous? Had Tynave said Nel was jealous of– Oh no...

Fayt stopped in his tracks, feeling like a hare in a hunter's sights as Nel turned and glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. It had been bad enough when Adray had asked him if he was seeing Nel; he'd never thought he'd done anything to give people the impression he was but... Tynave had said that Nel had been jealous when she'd seen him speaking with Clair, which must've been the last time he'd visited. That would explain her particularly cross behaviour, but that meant...

"Fayt?"

"Nel," he began slowly, "I don't know how to say this but I don't– I mean I consider you a friend, a comrade, but–"

She raised a hand. "Stop." He did, mid-sentence. Nel sighed and shook her head, "I'm going to have to have a word with those two later." She sighed, looking in the direction in which Tynave and Farleen had disappeared and then turned an appraising eye on him. "We should talk."

Puzzled, Fayt followed after her. He realized, when Nel stopped next to a roaring waterfall, that she wanted to be certain that they were not overheard. Nel scanned the area and only after that did she reach beneath the blue scarf at her throat to pull a chain out of her shirt. Dangling from the chain was a simple gold ring.

"Nel..." he breathed. "Are you... married?"

She rolled the ring between her thumb and index finger, a hint of a smile appearing on her lips. "Not yet."

"But who? Not Albel?"

She shot him a withering look. "Sorry," said Fayt with a shrug, abashed.

"Fayt, I'm telling you this in the strictest confidence."

"I know. I'm just surprised. I mean who..."

"Clair."

His jaw just about hit the ground at that and it was several moments before he recovered enough to speak. "Clair?"

"Is it unheard of on your world for two women to marry?" Her tone was casual, but he could feel the intense scrutiny of her gaze.

"No," stammered Fayt. "It's not unheard of. I just didn't know you were– I mean I could tell you and Clair cared about each other, but I never assumed... Do Tynave and Farleen know?"

Nel shook her head. "About the ring? No. About me and Clair? Yes, I think so. I imagine many of our people in Arias suspect. We've always tried to be discreet since we work together, but..." She shrugged.

"I see," said Fayt quietly. As he thought on it the pieces began to fall into place: Clair's worry for Nel, the way people in Aquaria always spoke of them together, the warmth– so rare in Nel– with which they greeted one another, even the way Nel's friend Rosaria has teased her about her being in love, said that everyone was talking about it... He'd always just accepted that they were close friends, but in retrospect it all made sense in a different light as well. "So," he began after a pause, still trying to digest this new information, "why haven't you made it official yet?"

Nel sighed. "The war in part. We each have duties that have kept us apart and, as a general rule, officers of the Aquarian forces serving together aren't supposed to marry. And..."

"And?"

"And Adray has his heart set on grandchildren," Nel added with a wry smile.

"So back there," said Fayt, gesturing vaguely to where Nel and her subordinates had been training, "what Tynave said... You've been in a foul mood with me because the last time I was here you saw me talking with Clair and thought I was trying to steal her? Is that it?"

Shaking her head Nel heaved a sighed. "No, it's not that. Not exactly." She crossed her arms, closing her eyes for a moment before looking back to Fayt. "It would be so easy for you. No worries about being both officers and you'd have Adray's approval in a moment– in fact you _already_ have it," she added wryly.

Fayt winced. "You heard about that, huh?"

"Yes. Clair was livid. And then he tried to offer her to some of the runologists under her command." Nel heaved a sigh.

"Hasn't she told him she's– well..."

"She tried– years ago. He said she'd grow out of it once she spent some time around some 'real men'." Nel shook her head. "Sometimes Adray only hears what he wants to hear."

"But, Nel... What were you really doing at Kirlsa that time when were being attacked by the Vendeeni?"

"I told you," said Nel quietly, not meeting his eyes, "I had a lot to think about."

Fayt shook his head. "I don't get it. How could you come with us after that knowing that you might never be able to come back here again when all that time Clair was waiting for you? You're not afraid to go through with it, are you?" He knew as soon as those last words flew off his tongue that he'd gone too far. Nel's posture, which had finally mellowed once she'd explained to him what had been troubling her, suddenly became rigid and he could not help but remember her as she'd first appeared to him and Cliff when she'd threatened to end their lives if they refused to cooperate.

"I assume you didn't come here to discuss my love life," she said flatly, her arms crossed over her chest, as she glowered at Fayt.

"No. I guess not." So much for things getting back to normal. "I have some news." Nel said nothing and simply waited for Fayt to go on. "We finally got things sorted out. I'll be staying here until things blow over out there." He gestured skyward. "Maria will probably come here too."

"And what about Sohpia? Is she well?"

Fayt nodded. "She's fine. She's back with her family. Since her power can't be used as a weapon the way ours can she should be safe. Cliff will keep an eye on things and if he finds out otherwise he'll get her out of there."

"Are you sure it's wise for you to stay on Elicoor? After all, many people know about your time here."

"True, but Mirage is busy making sure everyone thinks we're on Klaus. I think as long as we keep a low profile here we'll be okay. At least this way we're not culturally contaminating another planet."

"I see. Will you be staying in Aquios?"

"Actually, I was hoping to travel a bit. I've got a lot to think about and my college was destroyed so..." He shrugged. "I've still got a few things to settle off-world, but I wanted to give you a heads up."

"I guess I'll be seeing you then," said Nel and without waiting for him to reply she turned on her heel and headed towards the castle. Fayt sighed as he watched her go. That could've gone better. Much much better...

**ooo**

They called the wide balcony that opened up behind the Queen's throne room the White Dew Garden. Standing by the vine-covered balustrade you could see the entirety of the castle grounds, the trees and obelisks that lined the cobbled pathway below, the approach to the main gate, and then further into the city of Aquios. Because of where the garden was situated, however, only a very few, trusted by the Queen, had access to it. Nel was one of these few.

She came here sometimes when she wanted to think and this afternoon she found herself staring a long while at the vista spread before her. However, with all her years of training and the time she'd spent working behind enemy lines, Nel was not one to be caught off guard even when she was deep in thought and so, when the door behind her opened, she registered it, but did not turn; she knew the sound of that step so well...

"Nel?"

"Hello, Clair," Nel greeted her, still looking out over the lush castle grounds. It was beautiful here, such a change from Arias with its denuded streets, strewn with rubble, the marks of the war with Airyglyph. It would be a long while before they rebuilt, and even then some things would never be repaired.

Clair came to stand beside her and for several moments she, too, looked out over the grounds. Nel did not need to turn to look at her to sense Clair's worry when she did speak. "What's troubling you?"

"Nothing," replied Nel, giving a shake of her head and turning to face Clair.

"Nel."

A smile tugged at Nel's lips; she recognised that tone of Clair's, the one which made it very clear she was not going to accept Nel's brave soldier routine. Nel did not speak as she turned to face Clair, but instead reached towards her, her fingers brushing against the soft skin of Clair's neck as she reached beneath Clair's grey scarf and grasped the chain hidden there. It was warm to the touch. Carefully, she pulled the chain out of the scarf until she could see the gold ring that hung from it, gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. All the while Clair remained still, watching Nel with an intense stare, her eyes narrowed slightly, her lips pursed and Nel knew she was worrying her. But then she was always worrying Clair...

"I didn't leave because of this." She clasped the ring in her fist as she spoke, finding that she couldn't meet Clair's eyes.

"I know," whispered Clair, placing her hand over Nel's fist. At Clair's touch, Nel relaxed her spasmodic grip on the ring. "I know, love." It was only as Clair brushed her fingers over Nel's cheek that Nel raised her eyes. "What brought this up?"

"Fayt came by today when I was training with Tynave and Farleen." She heaved a sigh. "Those two... Tynave needs a helping of good sense."

"What did they do?" asked Clair, eyebrows raised.

"They managed to give Fayt the impression that I fancied him."

"Oh dear!" Clair looked to be trying to stifle a laugh at this information and sounded exceedingly amused as she spoke. "So you told him you were already taken?"

"I showed him the ring."

Clair nodded. "And?"

Crossing her arms, Nel let her eyes wander over the pale stone of the balcony and the vibrantly green vines that twined over the balustrade. "He asked how I could have left to come with him, knowing you were waiting for me to return."

"Nel, look at me." She did, and as Clair's dark eyes focussed on her, Nel felt transparent, as if the girl she had grown up with, trained alongside, and fallen for could see straight through her defences, the mask she wore to face the rest of the world. But then Clair always had been able to do that. "I understand why."

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

Clair smiled. "You helped save the universe. I think that was a worthwhile cause."

With a smile of her own, Nel gave Clair's hand a squeeze before turning her mind back to her duties. "Did you want to see me about something?"

"We've had word from another of our agents in Peterny. There's been a marked increase in activity among the merchants we've had under surveillance. Something is definitely going on."

It was ironic really. The war was over and now their problems were with a group of wealthy merchants of all things. The thought of it made her blood boil. After all the Aquarian forces had done, all they had sacrificed to protect this country and now these ungrateful wretches who'd never fought, never shed their blood or seen their friends die on the points of enemy swords or torn apart by dragons, who'd never had to suffer anything but high wartime taxes– these– these _peddlers_ were trying to overthrow the kingdom itself if the reports were to be believed.

"My agent still hasn't returned from Peterny," said Nel. "She's four days overdue."

"You could send someone else after her. I'm sure Tynave and Farleen could manage it."

Nel shook her head. "They work best as a team, and this is a job for one person."

"You're thinking of going yourself, aren't you? What about the Queen's orders that you should take some time off and trust in your subordinates ?"

Being a member of the Crimson Blade and leader of the Secret Legion, Nel had learned to trust her instincts and it had grated on her nerves that she'd been forced to remain here waiting when she felt certain something ominous– and much more so than their initial reports had suggested– was going on in the kingdom's commercial centre. "I'm going to ask the Queen's permission. I have a feeling..."

"You think it's serious?"

"I do."

Clair nodded. "I'll order the Chain Legion to keep on full alert. If something happens in Peterny you'll have their support." Since Clair was commander of the Shield Legion, the Chain Legion, which was charged with the defence of Peterny, reported directly to her. Nel would be glad to have them at her disposal, though she hoped it wouldn't come to that. Peterny was the commercial capital of the continent and any disruption there could have serious economic fallout throughout Aquaria as well as for their allies. No, if this went well it would be a quiet affair that the common folk never even got wind of.

"I'm going to speak to the Queen shortly."

"All right. I'll see you tonight then." And with that Clair headed back into the castle, leaving Nel alone in the White Dew Garden.

She needed to speak to the Queen, but she allowed herself a few more moments to enjoy the tranquillity of the garden in the hopes of calming her thoughts. She was leaving. Again. And again Clair was willing to let her go. Once she knew it was important to Nel, Clair did not protest, though Nel knew how much her recklessness caused Clair to worry. Only once, when Nel had planned to go to the Kirlsa Training Facility alone to rescue Tynave and Farleen in a mission which had been tantamount to suicide, had Clair ever tried to talk her out it. Still, she refused to believe what Fayt had suggested. She was not trying to run away! She would never do that to Clair.

And yet, though Clair had affirmed she'd understood her decision, Nel could not help but let her mind wander back to that night...

**ooo**

The war was over. After all this time... The war that had she trained for, fought in, the war that had claimed the lives of countless comrades and friends and even her own father, was over. Late at night, in the darkness of her room, Nel's thoughts chased each other in endless circles. The only light was that of a moonbeam slanting through the window and onto the floor at the foot of the bed where she sat up, hugging her knees, the blankets loosely draped over her. She'd lost track of how long she's been sitting awake, unable to quiet her mind enough to sleep. She supposed she could have gotten up, perhaps gone for a walk on the grounds or trained awhile in order to wear herself out, but, glancing to her left, she found did not want to leave. Clair, her skin pale against her dark hair which, let loose from its usual plaits, lay strewn across her pillow... Her slow, steady breathing was the most soothing sound Nel could imagine right now.

She longed to lay back down and pull Clair tightly against her until she could feel her heartbeat, but she did not want to wake her, and the thoughts that troubled her tonight made even her lover, lying next to her, seem far away. The war was over...

An hour or so had passed when she heard a voice, heavy with sleep, call her name. "Nel?"

"I'm all right," she replied gently. "Go back to sleep, Clair."

But, instead, she heard the rustle of sheets and a moment later she felt arms winding around her and the lightest touch of a kiss against her neck. Breathing deeply, Nel tried to relax in Clair's embrace as she ran one hand up Clair's arm to the runological patterns inscribed there, tracing them in the dark. She knew them by heart, knew every inch of her by heart.

"You've been restless," said Clair against her ear. "Are you ready to tell me what's on your mind?"

"The war's over," blurted Nel.

"Which is why I'm in your room in Aquios instead of alone back in Arias."

"Doesn't it bother you?"

"Being in your room? No, I rather like that," Clair purred, lips brushing over Nel's neck, sending a shiver down her spine. A smile twitched Nel's lips; even now, in the midst of her brooding, Clair had that effect on her. But her thoughts returned again to the issue that troubled her and she tried once more to explain.

"I'm glad the war's over of course. But... the war has been my whole life for so long now... I don't know what else to be other than a soldier, what else I have to offer Aquaria if it no longer needs to be defended."

"It's not like we won't have work to do, Nel. The war with Airyglyph may be over but there's still Greeton to worry about and there's still so much to do before the kingdom is rebuilt."

"I know but... I'm commander of the Secret Legion, Clair. Airyglyph has been my responsibility all this time. And Fayt... It makes me uneasy leaving things the way we did. He's still in so much danger."

"He's in good hands."

"I know," sighed Nel, "but I owe him a debt. I wish I could've repaid it."

Clair rested her head against Nel's shoulder and they remained silent for a long while. Nel had begun to think Clair had drifted off to sleep when she felt the heat of Clair's breath against her skin as she whispered, "You're going, aren't you?"

"I need to sort things out. I can't do that here." Nel wondered if she imagined it or, as Clair sighed against her, if she really felt Clair's resignation coursing through her own body. Commander of the Shield Legion, responsible for holding Arias through numerous brutal attacks by Airyglyph's army, member of the Crimson Blade, select group of those most trusted by the Queen of Aquaria, Clair's will was like steel– except when it comes to me, Nel thought. For her, Clair would bend, and while Nel loved her for it, she also felt weighed down by guilt for taking advantage of it.

"Where will you go?"

"Kirlsa to start with," replied Nel. "After that I'll see."

With nimble fingers, Clair brushed a strand of red hair away from Nel's eyes and then let her hand trace down Nel's cheek. "I'll be here when you get back. Try not to keep me waiting too long, all right?" she added and Nel could sense the smile on her lips. "Now come to bed." And with that Nel allowed Clair to pull her down onto the bed next to her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I'm sure this comes as a shock but no, I do not own Star Ocean or the characters therein. ;)

So here's chapter two (of six). My beta's been ill so I'm not sure when she'll be done with chapter three. Hopefully soon. Anyway reviews are welcome. Enjoy!

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**Chapter Two**

Walking down to the gate of Castle Aquaria, Nel could hear the roar of the great waterfall on the western edge of the city. As she headed further into the Aquios it would fade and be swallowed up by the clack of footsteps and clip clop of hooves along the cobbled avenues, but here, on the threshold between the city and the castle, it was still. When Nel had approached her about a mission to Peterny, the Queen had at first been reluctant and Lasselle had been no help, suggesting that a few days' delay was not enough to assume something had happened to Nel's subordinate. However, when Nel expressed the degree of her unease with the situation, the Queen overrode Lasselle and agreed to send her. Now, in the early morning light Nel was packed and prepared to set out to Peterny and see for herself what had become of her agent and how her disappearance was connected to the merchants' activities.

The soft tint of dawn light on Clair's habitually pale face gave it a warm glow, one that could not help but bring a smile to Nel's lips, slight though it might be. They had said their goodbyes already, in the privacy of her room, but Clair had come to see her off as she always did. They were still a few paces from the gate when Clair paused, laying a hand on Nel's elbow.

"Those aren't your usual short swords, are they?" Her gaze was directed at the pair of sheathed blades which rested at Nel's hips.

"They're my father's." Concern flashed across Clair's features. "You don't need to read anything into it." Nel's father had been the wielder of the twin swords, the Blades of Ryusen, when he'd gone missing during a battle and been presumed dead. It was only recently, after the peace between their country and Airyglyph had been settled, that she had learned the fate of her father from Count Woltar who had returned the blades as per her father's final wish. She had told no one of this save the Queen and Clair and it was easy to understand how Clair could be concerned at seeing her carry those blades. "I'm coming back," Nel added.

"Be careful."

"I will."

And then they took the final steps towards the castle gate. "Lady Nel, Lady Clair," the sentries saluted them in unison. Nel gave a curt nod in their direction and then set out down the cobblestone path and down the steps that led into the city proper, leaving Clair standing in the gateway. She could feel Clair's eyes on her as she walked away and resisted the urge to look back.

The main boulevard that ran through the centre of Aquios was still relatively quiet at this time of the morning, with only a handful of early risers, some heading out of Aquios and others crossing to the smaller streets on either side of the city. Nel ducked down one of these to stop at a stable situated just outside the castle gate. There she spoke with the stableman to get use of a horse; she no longer kept one of her own, not since her last mount had taken an Airyglyph arrow. She moved around so much, and so often needed to leave cities by unconventional means, that it was easier to simply requisition a horse when she needed one. Today she needed one; getting to Peterny as quickly as possible was essential.

Once the horse was properly saddled and packed she was finally able to get under way in truth as she had been anxious to do since the moment she'd stepped through the gate. A few minutes later she was through the city and crossing Moonlit Bridge, the bridge over the river that flowed on either side of Aquios. As her mount moved on at a relaxed pace, past the pair of angel statues at the midway point of the long, cobbled bridge, she let her eyes trace the slow turning of the windmill's sails. Her thoughts, however, dwelled on the moss-covered ruins, now used as a public garden, that arced off of the eastern side of the city. She could have seen the garden from the bridge if she were to turn in her saddle, but she did not.

There were so few places she and Clair could be alone without prying eyes or the distractions of their duties as Aquarian officers, but the garden, late in the evening, was one of them. Full of odd corners and set apart from the bustle of the city, it had long been used as a favourite place for lovers' trysts and she and Clair had often met there, especially in their younger days when they had been training in Aquios, before they'd been given their current commands and responsibilities. It was there among the ruins, where the toppled pillars, covered in moss and beginning to crumble under the weight of centuries of neglect, reminded them of the fleetingness of all life, that she had first offered Clair the ring.

Even now, she remembered the way moonlight and shadows had danced over Clair's face, making her seem a child of the moon goddess Irisa herself, the joy in her eyes, the fervour of her kiss. That had been some two years ago now...

So caught up was Nel in her thoughts that it was not until she was almost upon him that she realized the identity of the rider waiting at the end of the bridge. She chided herself for indulging in nostalgia when she was supposed to be on duty, for even at a hundred paces she should not have mistaken him; his broad, bare chest, deeply tanned and marked with runological symbols, and his dark, scruffy beard made him impossible to mistake.

"Adray," she said evenly as she came within earshot of him. In all the time they'd travelled together with Fayt she'd managed to always avoid being alone with him, which had suited her just fine and him as well, it seemed, for he had never sought her out. Though he had been good friends with her father she knew him very little; Clair and he had always had their differences and these past years he was always away on mission far from Aquarian shores. The fact that he was seated on a fully-packed horse, seemingly waiting for someone, made her exceedingly nervous.

"Mind if I ride with you?"

Panic shot through her and it was only years of training that allowed her to keep her expression neutral. "I'm on a mission for the Queen and I must make haste."

"You implying I'd slow you down?" There was a dangerous glint in his eye as he spoke.

"Of course not," Nel replied instantly.

"It's settled then. I'll travel with you and when you get where you're going I'll let you get on with your duties."

"All right," said Nel, trying to ignore a sudden sinking feeling. And to think he would one day be her father-in-law...

**ooo**

By afternoon, Clair found herself on the second floor of the palace, making her way to the Runological Weapon Research division to speak with Lady Elena. Though half the Shield Legion remained in Arias, aiding in the rebuilding effort, soon they would return to their proper place in Aquios, and with the threat of Airyglyph at an end, many of the runologists serving under Clair were to be reassigned to research duties.

When, upon first glimpsing the trademark emerald green carpet of the runological division, Clair found herself reminded of Nel's eyes, she knew it was going to be a long day.

"Lady Clair," Elena greeted her, glancing up from her book as Clair entered her office. "What brings you here today?" She waved Clair to the oak chair across from her desk. The chair was very nearly the only flat surface in the room which was not covered with books and scrolls.

"I've come to discuss the redeployment of the runologists who've been serving under me."

Elena nodded, setting down the text she'd been flipping through. "Ah yes, we'll be glad to take them into our research division. It was such a blow losing Dion..."

"Yes it was," replied Clair quietly. She'd not known the young man well, but she'd heard that he'd been an excellent runological researcher and had played a role in the development of the Thunder Arrow. And he too was dead thanks to the Vendeeni. It was such a waste...

"So," began Elena after a pause, "is there any chance I could entice you to transfer into my division?"

Clair smiled and shook her head. "My answer is the same as before."

"It couldn't hurt to ask. I remember when you were training..." She shook her head. "You have such a keen sensitivity to runological force, one of the finest in the kingdom. I always thought you could do more here than risking yourself on the front lines."

"That may be so, but my knowledge of runology and its applicability to battle is one of the reasons I was chosen, and I have no regrets about my position."

Elena smiled wistfully. "You were always restless. I suppose it's your father's blood. Has he been sent on another mission by Lasselle?"

"Pardon?" Clair started.

"He rode out early this morning, just before dawn in fact. I'm sorry, I assumed you knew."

Before dawn? Even earlier than Nel had departed... That was... odd. "No I didn't." She shrugged. "Perhaps the Queen asked something of him that required that he leave immediately."

"Yes," replied Elena vaguely. "Yes, I suppose you're right. And how is Lady Nel?"

Clair was so used to people asking her about Nel that she didn't even bat an eyelash; she knew that many were aware of their relationship or, at the very least, suspected. "Busy." A smile crept onto her face. "As always."

"So, shall we get down to the matter at hand?" said Elena.

They spent the next while haggling over the redeployment of the runologists. Though fewer were necessary to the Shield Legion now that it was no longer on active combat duty and was resuming its original responsibilities of the defence of Aquios, it was only natural that a certain number of runologists would stay on with the Legion. If the Shield Legion ever needed to be deployed again on short notice it was essential that they have combat-ready runologists.

Clair breathed a sigh of relief when the details were settled and Elena smiled. "So what will they be working on once they're released from the Shield Legion?"

"Why don't I show you?" Elena offered. She led Clair down to the weapon fabrication room. Every time Clair entered it, she could not help but think that the contrast between that room and the rest of Castle Aquaria could not have been more stark. Most of the castle was built with pale stone, its interior light and airy, with water flowing even within the castle walls, and its exterior covered with vines, its pathways lined by trees; it teemed with a sense of energy and life. The runological weapon fabrication room, however, was dingy, a beast of metal and rust, the rough area carpets, which hid at least part of the steel flooring, always slightly askew. Grey brick walls were discernable in places between sections of metal mesh on which hung weapon schematics. Levers, machinery, supplies as well as completed or prototype weapons lined the walls of the room. It was like stepping into another building completely.

The runologist on duty in the fabrication room bowed as Elena entered. She nodded politely in response and proceeded towards the left side of the room where the weapons were kept. Clair could identify one of the Thunder Arrow's predecessors there as well as several pieces of what must have been even earlier prototypes.

"This is it," announced Elena, coming to stand next to a complex metallic device set on wheels which looked remarkably like the Thunder Arrow, though perhaps a fifth of its size. When Clair stated this Elena nodded. "It doesn't have the yield or range of the Thunder Arrow," explained Elena, "but its smaller size makes it easier to transport and more practical to bring onto the field. It's the smallest we've been able to make thus far, but the eventual goals would be to reduce the weapon to a handheld size so that it could be used a personal arm for our soldiers."

"Like the weapons Nel described in her report," said Clair quietly.

"Yes, I was very impressed with her description of the devices she saw while she was away. It will take us decades– or longer– to come close to reproducing them, but it give us something to strive for."

"I wonder..."

"What is it, Lady Clair?"

Clair sighed. "I just wonder about the wisdom of what you're suggesting. The war is over. Surely we should focus on other matters rather simply trying to create more deadly weapons."

Elena nodded. "I understand your concern, but we've only just discovered there are entire worlds in the stars, most of them far more technologically advanced. In our current state there is little we could do if they should come to our world as the Vendeeni did. Should we not try to develop the means to protect ourselves rather than being forced to rely on the goodwill of Fayt and our other allies?"

"I suppose you're right; we haven't much choice."

Yet, at the mention of Fayt her thoughts began running astray and she found herself remembering the evening after her father had tried to marry her off to Fayt. It was night and moonlight was slanting into Nel's room in the castle. By then Clair's anger hand simmered down into irritated exasperation, but as she'd recounted Fayt's disastrous visit, she had seen a look flash across Nel's face. "Nel, you can't possibly be jealous of Fayt?" she asked with mingled amusement and amazement. Nel met her eyes with an intense stare, one which Clair knew tended to unnerve others, but Clair recognised that look as a sign of turbulent emotion roiling beneath Nel's calm exterior.

Nel moved with startling speed and in an instant Clair found herself pinned against the bed beneath her lover, looking up into Nel's brilliant green eyes. With her soldier's hands, calloused from years of training and of battle, Nel brushed dark strands of hair away from Clair's eyes and let her fingertips trail down her cheek. Her voice was husky as she spoke. "I'm jealous of the moonbeam you're lying in, that's how much I want you all to myself."

"You have me, Nel, every part of me. You always have," breathed Clair, and, loosing one of her hands, she reached up to wind it into Nel's hair and pull her down to kiss her.

The clang of metal startled her out of her reverie. Clair turned on her heel to see that the runologist on duty had pulled one of the switches along the wall in her inspection of the room's machinery. Chiding herself for so easily becoming distracted, Clair turned her eyes to the runological weapons, taking note of the two other prototypes similar to one the Elena had shown her. "Are those ones operational as well?" asked, indicating the two weapons.

"Yes, though the wiring still needs to be tweaked; they tend to overheat after a certain number of shots are fired."

"I see."

"So are you sure I can't convince you to reconsider? We could always use your expertise in runology and your experience in battle."

Clair smiled and shook her head. "My duty to the Shield Legion comes first, Professor."

"We all have our duty," replied Elena, "but you're young still and I hope you find time to enjoy it. Busy or not."

Clair only smiled. It seemed "suspected" was a bit of an understatement after all.

**ooo**

Her father's oddly-timed departure was still niggling at Clair's thoughts when she sat down at the desk in her room later that day; it was too much of a coincidence that he had left the same day as Nel. She had planned to write up a report of the arrangements she and Elena had made for the personnel transfers, but found herself unable to concentrate. Instead, she opened one of the drawers in her desk, pushed aside the few small items kept there, and felt around for the catch that allowed her to open up the false bottom of the drawer. She removed from it a small, leather-bound volume.

She'd had this desk since she'd been a child, and always she had kept a diary tucked away in the drawer's secret compartment. She never wrote anything that concerned work directly– dates, locations, or anything that could be considered sensitive information– so she didn't have to be concerned about it falling into the wrong hands. Mostly the diary served as a means of reflecting on the events in her life and sorting through her feelings. Somehow writing things down allowed her to make things clearer in her own mind and it had been an invaluable tool during the war.

Clair's slender fingers carefully turned back the pages till she came to the most recent entry all about her father and his attempts to marry her off to the runologists under her command. She was just reaching for the bottle of ink on the corner of her desk when something occurred to her which made her heart lurch, something which had bothered her some weeks ago when it had happened, but which she'd nearly forgotten about in the interim.

After escorting the Queen back from her meeting with the King of Airyglyph at the Ruins of Mosel, Clair had spent a few nights in Aquios before returning to Arias. It had been her first time back in Aquios since she'd been deployed to Arias to defend it from the Glyphian attacks. Entering her room on the first floor of the castle, she had found everything as she had left it– except for one thing. The diary she'd been using before she'd left had had only one or two pages remaining after her final entry so she'd begun a new one in Arias and left the old one in is usual hiding place. When she'd pulled it out of the desk upon returning to Aquios, she'd found the lock open. It had been puzzling, but she'd not dwelled on it long for she'd been just distracted enough the night she'd written the last entry that it was possible she'd left it open. But what if– oh merciful Apris no... Her father had been back in the castle several times during his travels with Fayt's group. It would have been just like him to find her diary and read it.

Clair's mind raced as she tried to recall what she'd written about in that particular volume. Certainly Nel's name would have come up frequently. Nel had been away a great deal at that time on missions to Airyglyph and Clair remembered her journal being filled with reflections on the war as well as with her worry for Nel. However, some of the entries were more than personal, they were intimate. If memory served, she'd written the final entry the night before she'd been due to leave for Arias and now, as she sat there at her desk, she tried to recall the details of that night.

She had not expected to see Nel before she left so she'd been surprised when she'd heard a knock on the door and opened it to find Nel herself standing there. "Can I come in?" she'd asked in a casual tone– no one passing by would have thought anything of it– but no sooner was the door shut than Clair found herself pinned to the door by Nel's body and breathless with her kisses, ardent and demanding– and she loved it. She revelled in Nel's strength, her body lean and toned, her advances forceful but always tempered by an underlying gentleness that Clair knew few other than herself ever saw.

She had written the entry later that night. Nel had been exhausted– she had travelled through the previous night in order to reach Aquios in time to see Clair off– and had drifted off to sleep after they'd made love. Clair, however, wracked with worry, had lain awake a long while before rising to write in her journal.

And as Clair recalled this now she found herself seeking out the old diary, terrified of how much of that evening might have been put to paper; she needed to know exactly what her father had read. Once she'd dug out the old journal she turned to the final entry and scanned it, slowing when she came to the part that concerned Nel.

_"The castle is still tonight; even the sound of water seems muted. All I can hear is Nel's breathing. It's different when she's away from here, when she's on a mission. I remember when we were training together how she would keep her guard up even when she slept; she'd wake at the slightest sound with a dagger in her hand. No one would ever suspect how different she looks when she's here, how the stern lines of her face relax and she looks peaceful, even vulnerable._

_"Those who serve under her understand and are unwaveringly loyal to her, but others here in court– Lasselle and his ilk– think she's cold, hard; I've heard them say she has ice in her veins. But they don't know, they don't see it's just a mask. When she comes to me at night she's fire and flame, her lips are warm, and her hands, gentle."_

Clair groaned and held her head in her hands. If her father had happened to read that– and it seemed likely as it was the final entry– there was no chance that he would not know about her relationship with Nel. No wonder he'd all of a sudden been trying to marry her off. And in all likelihood he was currently travelling with Nel. Gods protect her...

* * *

**A/N**: I just wanted to mention this in case anyone else missed it (I only noticed on my second playthrough), but Clair's diary is in fact canon– as is Adray's intention to read it. Adray is always in Clair's room when you visit Castle Aquaria, right? Well at one point (sometime after the Ruins of Mosel) if you talk to him he says: "Clair has kept a diary since she was a young lass. I know where she hides it, of course. I shall take a peak at it later. It does have a lock on it, but I shall just force it open." I was quite amused by this and just had to write it into my fic; it's so very Adray. 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I wanted to say a quick thank you to gothatheartholo and kaeiru for leaving reviews. It's very encouraging. Thanks!

* * *

Chapter Three

Thus far, the trip to Peterny had been uneventful. Adray had, for the most part, kept quiet, making no effort at conversation– which was just fine with Nel. As they would arrive in Peterny tomorrow morning, she even dared to hope that her misgivings had been ill-founded and that Adray really had simply wanted to accompany her to the city with no hidden agenda. However, as they finished preparing camp and were waiting for dinner to cook over the fire, she experienced again that sinking feeling as Adray, for the first time during the trip, began to speak.

"Are you sleeping with my daughter?" he rumbled. For a moment Nel froze. She _did not_ want to be having this conversation with Adray.

She kept her tone carefully neutral, and put on her soldier's face as she replied, "Isn't that something you should be asking Clair?"

"I'm asking you," returned Adray. When she set her jaw and did not reply, a sound very much like a growl poured out of Adray's chest. "It was you all along, wasn't it?" He shook his head and Nel bit her tongue so as not to say a word. Did he think she'd _seduced_ Clair? It would serve him right if she told him that it was the other way around. At nineteen she'd been certain that she was in love with her dearest friend, but she'd resolved to never speak of it, to be silently devoted to Clair, but to try to go on as they always had. It was Clair who had come to her one night and changed everything.

"You can't give Clair what she needs."

"And what would that be?" shot back Nel, staring him in the eye now, fists clenched. That he should think himself able to tell _her_ anything about Clair...

"Children. "

A bark of laughter, harsh and grating, erupted from Nel. Adray was scowling and the firelight flickering over his craggy features gave him the look of a gargoyle, yet Nel could not help but be overwhelmed by the ridiculousness of the situation. "And what do you know about what Clair needs? You're never here; you're always away on some mission in distant lands, and when you are here you never listen."

The crackling of the campfire flicking between them was the only sound for a long moment. Nel did not flinch beneath Adray's unblinking stare and when he spoke it was in a low, threatening tone. "Don't presume to tell me about my daughter."

"Why not?" She had dreaded this conversation for years, hoped it could somehow be avoided– hoped at least there would be other people around when it did to prevent bloodshed. But now they were in it and what restraint she had, was all but used up. That he thought he knew better what Clair, _her_ Clair, her lover, her truest friend and the sister of her soul, wanted... it was beyond absurd! "Do you know what her favourite season is? The things that make her happy or make her smile? What she thought of the war? What she thinks about the peace? Why she became a runologist?" Adray glowered at her, but, when he said nothing, she pressed on. "Do you expect her to just abandon her career, her service to Aquaria when it gives her life meaning, just as it does to yours?"

"Your father would never had approved of this," he said, his voice like the steel edge of a blade.

Shaking her head Nel pressed her lips together to force back the words that threatened to slip out of her. Instead, she took in a long, slow breath before looking back up to Adray and saying very deliberately, "My father would be proud that I had been chosen to assume his responsibilities as commander of the Secret Legion. And he wouldn't be trying to sell me off in marriage. He would care about what I wanted, not just about what he wanted for me. He would want my happiness before anything else."

Adray's gaze flickered and she was confused as to what he was looking at until he spoke. "You're wearing Nevelle's swords."

"Yes."

"I thought they'd been lost."

"Lord Woltar had them. My father asked for them to be passed on to me when I was worthy of them."

Adray made what Nel was certain was a sound of noncommital but then, after a pause, "You do look like him. And you're just as stubborn."

Surprise did not cover what she felt at that moment, but she managed to stammer a "Thank you."

He gave the barest of nods and did not speak again after that. But by then their dinner was thoroughly burnt.

**ooo**

It was some three days later that Nel sat at one of the little tables near the main food stand in the central plaza of Peterny, sipping a mug of cider, leaning back in her chair, the picture of relaxation. She smiled easily as an off-duty soldier from the Chain Legion sat down across from her. They exchanged pleasantries; she asked him if he wanted to share a drink; he politely declined as he had pressing business and had just waned to say hello. With that he left. The exchange lasted only a few minutes and to onlookers would seem the most mundane of occurrences. Most would not have noticed the small, folded paper slipped from the soldier to Nel during the course of their brief conversation.

With deliberate calm, she continued sipping at her cider, appearing to be enjoying the pleasantly warm afternoon sun, never giving an outward hint of how urgently she wanted to read the message the soldier had passed her. Her face was known in Peterny and subterfuge was necessary, more here than ever it had been in Airyglyph. After another ten or so minutes she got up from the table and headed back to her usual room at the Luxury Inn on the west side of the city. It was only there in the privacy of her room that she unfolded the message. She scanned it quickly and then reread it more carefully. This was it, the information she'd needed.

It had been nearly two weeks since her subordinate had last been seen. Her room had been paid for but she had not returned to it and all her things remained as she'd left them. Nel had gone through her scant belongings but found little to go on. It had taken the past few days to pick up her trail and it had required her to draw on all her resources in the city. The Chain Legion, several of whose members had at least some experience in information gathering, had been invaluable. And now she had a name: a shop in the eastern part of town.

It was frustrating, but she waited until nightfall to leave the inn. When she did, she wore hooded cloak and made her way quietly down the inn steps, skipping the fifth one that had a tendency to creak loudly– alarmingly so when one was trying to go unnoticed– and out into the streets of Peterny. Here on the west side the streets were kept clean and even after dark people of every sort walked about at their ease. It would not be so once she reached the east end.

Nel skirted along the edge of the plaza, keeping to the shadows as she headed to the opposite end of town. Once she was there she navigated the increasingly narrow streets, ducking down alleys at regular intervals, taking care that she was not being followed. However, though she was using every trick she knew, she was certain someone was close behind following her trail with the persistence of a bloodhound.

Turning another corner, Nel ducked into the gap between the wall of a ramshackle house and a pile of empty crates, stacked haphazardly nearby, and drew the Blades of Ryusen. She held her breath as a shadow slanted across the street and then immediately darted away again. "Damn," she hissed under her breath. She wanted this over with.

Her blades drawn and ready, Nel stepped back out into the street. "Show yourself!" she called to the retreating shadow. The figure stopped and promptly stepped into the flickering light of the single remaining streetlight.

"It's you." She lowered her swords and could barely contain her annoyance as she asked, "You were the one following all this way, Adray?"

"I may never have been in the Secret Legion, but I did learn a few things from Nevelle. You're not the only one who can get information here."

"I'm here on the Queen's business. Please don't interfere."

Adray snorted and crossed his arms over his burly chest. "From what I hear there are a fair number of them. I came to help."

"Why?" Her attempt to keep the amazement out of her voice failed completely.

"We still have things to talk about," he rumbled, scowling. "I want to make sure you stay in one piece until then."

For a brief moment Nel found herself weighing the prospect of another conversation with Adray against the possibility of facing a horde of armed foes on her own and was uncertain which was worse. It was a brief moment, but still... She sighed and with a nod signalled for Adray to follow her.

He had never been a subtle man, but Nel was impressed by his ability to move silently through the narrow streets, keeping to the shadows. Perhaps he had learned a few things from her father after all. As they turned a corner and found themselves in a particularly squalid street, they both stopped as the building they had been moving towards finally came into view. It was a two storey edifice, greyish paint peeling off the wooden facing, shingles missing from the roof, and immediately Nel's eyes fixed on the signboard above the door. A star, immaculately white, was painted onto a royal blue background and the shop's name "The Star Dealer" appeared in brilliant gold lettering. It was the only signboard of its kind in east Peterny and as soon as Nel lay eyes on it she knew this was the place. The signboard hung on a building like this shouted inexperience in criminal matters, which was just what she expected out of a band of pampered merchants' sons. How they could actually expect to bring down the Aquarian government was beyond her.

Ignoring the front door, Nel let her eyes trace over the environs of the building. The wall of the neighbouring building on the left side had been built right against it so there was no entrance at all from that quarter. To the right, however, there was an alleyway. The top of an elm tree could be seen behind the building so the alley likely led to small grassy enclosure like those attached many of the better properties on this side of town. There was probably also a back door.

Nel gestured to Adray, signalling her intentions, before she hopped the alley's low gate and made her way around the building. Behind her, she heard a soft thud as Adray followed. They were in luck. In the darkness, Nel could make out the faint lines of a doorway against the back wall. Without hesitation, she reached for the pick she'd brought along for just such an eventuality and within moments came the satisfying click of the lock. She did not immediately open the door, but instead pressed her back against the wall to the left of the door and nodded to Adray as he waited to the right of it. Blades drawn, runology prepared to be used at a moment's notice, she reached for the doorknob and, keeping her position against the wall, swung open the door. Light spilled into the yard, but not a sound came from inside. Nel counted to three before moving to glance through the door. There was no one in the hallway.

With the caution and fleetness of foot that came from years of training and experience, Nel proceeded into the enemy's headquarters. If her information was right they were nothing but a band of ambitious merchants' sons who'd never held a sword in their lives. Her first instinct was to scoff, but one of her subordinates had disappeared, seemingly into thin air. If they had been able to capture a trained member of the Secret Legion, they must have some advantage. Perhaps some of them had gained runological skill through a rogue runologist. Such rogues were rare and most were runologists who had fled or been banned from the kingdom– traitors of some sort usually. It was possible the merchants had somehow made contact with one of these.

Once again she gestured to Adray and they checked the storefront and the three first floor rooms one by one, finding them all to be quite empty. The lavish decor of the back rooms were a stark contrast to the bare shop area and the dilapidated look of the outside of the building. But the shop was only a front for this place's real function as a meeting place for the treasonous band she was investigating.

As they had checked the rooms, all had been silent in the shop, but then, as they cleared the last one and moved towards the staircase by the back door, the creak of a floorboard from above disturbed the silence. Nel froze. Another creak followed and another. Footfalls. There was no doubt about it. A moment later came muffled speech, a voice– no, two voices– coming from upstairs. If she was not mistaken they were on the far side of the upper floor.

She crept up the stairs, freezing in her tracks as she heard the bottom stair creak behind her under Adray's weight. She glanced over her shoulder and he shrugged. They moved upwards at a crawl, but the two individuals– both men, she was now certain– continued their exchange, unaware of the two Aquarian agents.

Nel paused at the top of the stairs to take in the scene. There was a door on either side of the corridor, both ajar, and another at the far end that led to what seemed to be a large room. It was from this one that the voices were coming, though she could not see the men from where she was crouched. She heard footfalls again and the creak of floorboards, but these were clearly coming from the left side of the room. Moving through the corridor would be tricky, but if she kept to the left wall she could avoid being seen while also taking the necessary time to be silent. She was still leery of these men, spoiled brats though they might be, and thought better than to rush them, even with Adray at her back.

She turned to him and put a finger to her lips and then hand signalled that she intended to get closer. He nodded– reluctantly she was certain. His muscles were knotted with tension and she knew he must want to charge down the hallway; she only prayed his restraint would hold out.

Keeping to the left wall, Nel padded down the corridor, pausing an instant to glance into the side rooms to make sure they were empty. They seemed to be sleeping quarters, but the beds were unoccupied so she continued on. By now she could make out what the voices were saying. As she reached the doorway, she hung back in the left corner of the hall, listening.

"–should be there by the day after tomorrow, right?" The first man had a reedy sort of voice and Nel was amazed at how young he sounded– younger even that Fayt, she was willing to bet.

"Yes, that's what they planned," replied the second man, and the casualness of his tone did not belie that certain cadence, subtle yet unmistakable, that marked him as a merchant– or the son of one anyway. The schooling they received was meant to mimic that of nobles, but there remained a distinctiveness to their speech patterns that Nel could not miss. "They'll attack after nightfall. The battle shouldn't take long. They'll have their item and we'll have the rest of our payment in a few days."

"And the run of the country," added the younger man.

"That too," laughed the other.

"I still wish we could have gone."

"Why? You eager to risk your skin? The nobles may not have our weapons but they've got runology." So it wasn't a rogue runologist, but what sort of weapons could they hope to pit against the Aquarian forces?

The younger man made a scoffing sound. "Have you seen one of these things in action? Runology can't compare."

"Maybe. Have you taken a look at the other trinket they gave us, though?"

"This thing?"

"Yes, that's it. Is it on?"

"Huh? Seems to be, " replied the younger man. The second man was silent for a long moment and she imagined he was studying the object. "What? Something wrong?" asked the younger man.

"Didn't they say we could use this thing to show us when enemies were nearby?"

"I... think so."

A device that showed the position of enemies? That sounded remarkably like– "So if these two dots here are you and me, then what are the other two out in the hall?" –Fayt's Quad Scanner. Damn!

Nel rolled away from the doorway; an instant later a beam of white light lanced through the wall next to which she'd been standing. Nel's heart raced, her pulse pounding in her ears. There was no mistaking that beam of light: Fayt had called them "phase guns" and she had seen her share during her trek among the stars and in 4-D space. She dodged away again, lacking space in the narrow corridor, as another beam struck at her. Concealment was useless now if they had a scanner so Nel opted for a full on attack, rolling into the doorway at an angle calling on the power of the runes to summon a rain of needle-like shards of ice which struck down the closest man. It turned out to be the younger of the two. But the second man, too, had a weapon and he lay down fire, filling the air with a hail of energy beams, so that it was all Nel could do to avoid being hit herself.

And then all at once it stopped.

Dazed at the abruptness with which the battle had ended, Nel rose to her feet, blades still gripped in her palms, eyes fixed on the second man who had joined his companion on the floor, unconscious. There, standing over him, was Adray. He had never even needed to unsheathe his sword to strike the blow.

She nodded her thanks while her mind, still reeling from the sudden turn of events, raced to get a proper grasp of the situation. They had somehow acquired weapons from off world and they were going to use them to launch an attack. Surely they could not be foolish enough to attack Castle Aquaria? But it was most logical target if they were planning a coup. Merciful Gods!

It seemed unlikely that the man Adray had struck would come to in the near future so, instead, Nel turned to the younger one, grabbing him by the frilled collar of his shirt and giving him a shake. Blood was running down his face and his shirt was soaked by it as he bled from a multitude of shallow cuts on his face and torso, but he did not appear to be seriously wounded and groaned when Nel shook him. She gave him another shake. As he groaned again she pressed the blade of one of her short swords against his throat. He blanched then as he opened his eyes, saw Nel, felt the blade's edge, and realized his predicament.

As she spoke, she kept her voice low and even, though a part at the back of her mind was screaming, roiling with panic. She forced it back, ignored it; she had a mission to perform. "Who are you?"

"I– I–" His eyes darted left and right, but he returned his attention to her as she put pressure on the blade, stopping just short of drawing blood.

"The truth."

"My name is Arquin Grainlan."

She recognised the surname; it had appeared in some of the early reports."Son of the merchant of the same name?"

"Yes."

"What did you do with my agent?"

He whimpered and only replied when she forced the blade against his throat once again so that a faint line of blood trickled from beneath the blade's point. "She's dead. She came snooping around and we didn't know how to set the weapons to "stun" mode yet, so she was dead the moment she was hit."

It took all her restraint to keep the blade steady. Damn them all! "Her body?"

"Buried in Duggus Forest."

"Where did you get these weapons?"

"A man from a celestial ship gave them to us. I don't know who he was; I never saw him."

"Why?"

"He was after something from the castle. I don't know what– I swear!" She stared at him hard for a long moment, not because she had any doubt that he was telling the truth, but, rather, to make sure he was frightened enough to answer the most important of her slew of questions.

"What are your comrades planning?"

He whimpered once again and licked his lips several times. "I can't. They'll kill me if I tell."

"You won't survive long enough for that to happen if you _don't_ tell." His eyes widened. Nel's gaze was as blank and pitiless as a dragon's.

"You're an agent of the Queen. You wouldn't kill me in cold blood."

Nel's expression did not change as she looked down on the terrified young man at her feet– a teenager, seventeen at best, blood-soaked and pale as sheet, staring up at her like a cornered hare.

"They're planning to attack the capitol. Strike at nightfall and take the castle."

"How many?"

"Fifty or so."

"All merchants' sons?"

"No. Most of them are bandits or mercenaries."

"Most?"

"Maybe thirty-five."

"Are they all armed with these weapons?"

"Yes. And they have those scanner things."

Nel glowered at him for a moment longer and then nodded. "All right then, you've outlived your usefulness."

"Wha–"

She backhanded him across the face, knocking him out once again. During the course of the interrogation Adray had kept mercifully quiet, though she'd been able to feel his eyes boring into her back all the while. He looked grim as she turned to face him. "We need to turn them over to the Chain Legion," she said. "These two should be out until someone comes." Ideally they would tie them so that they could not escape even if they did happen to wake, but Nel did not want to waste the time searching for rope, not when at this very moment a band of thugs was preparing to attack her home, and in it all she was bound to and all she loved. _Oh gods, Clair..._

With a nod, Adray followed her out into the corridor and down the staircase. Nel was just reaching for the door when the sound of his voiced stopped her. "Would you really have done it?"

She thought for a moment of the young man, his face pale with terror, and then of the castle, the Queen, her subordinates in Aquios, the agent these men had murdered, and Clair. She turned to face Adray. "Would you?"

And with that she stepped out into the night, Adray following in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N :** I'm sorry it took so long to get this posted. I want to say a special thank you to my beta jenniferlupin for braving technical difficulties of the most aggravating sort in order to get her corrections to me. ;)

* * *

**Chapter Four**

When Clair woke to the rumble of a muffled explosion, she thought, at first, that she was still in Arias and that they were under attack by a Glyphian raiding party. She was already on her feet and pulling on a pair of nondescript grey trousers beneath her nightshirt before her mind, muzzy with sleep, recalled to her the fact that the war was over and that she was in her room in Castle Aquaria. As another explosion rocked the castle, causing the walls around her to tremble, she pulled on a pair of boots, snatched a dagger she kept at hand for emergencies, tucking it into her trousers, and stepped out into the hall.

It was pandemonium.

Residents of the castle and soldiers alike scurried every which way and it was a far cry from the scene she would have witnessed if this had indeed been Arias. There, the members of the Shield Legion would have been rushing to their posts and the remaining inhabitants running to shelter in what might have looked like chaos, but was in fact a well rehearsed dance. Arias was used to attacks; Castle Aquaria was not.

She managed to snag one of the soldiers as he was running past. She had to shout to be heard over the cacophony. "What's going on?"

"Lady Clair! I don't know. Something at the gate..."

"What about the Queen?"

He shook his head. "I think I saw members of the Shield Legion heading towards her quarters."

"All right. You two!" She called to two other soldiers who were headed towards the gate. They stopped in their tracks as they recognised the commander of the Shield Legion. "I want you to get these people out of the hallways. Get them to the conference room on the second floor and set a guard. It's an easily defensible location. Stay there until you hear otherwise."

"Yes ma'am," they chorused. She waited only long enough to see them begin directing the crowd, telling them to the take the east stairway. Receiving directions seemed to calm them and Clair hurried on her way. Though the regular castle guard was evidently unused to this sort of situation, her soldiers knew what to do; after all, defending Aquios in the face of an attack was what they had originally been trained for. There were only a small number of them here right now and they could not hold the castle alone, so their priority then became reaching the Queen and coordinating with her personal guard to ensure she was secure.

Clair's heart thudded in her chest as her boots pounded the steps to the upper floor, taking them two at time. Once there she hurried to the Queen's room, just off the throne room and, under normal circumstances, accessible to no one save the Queen herself and her personal guard. It was with a sense of pride that Clair spotted most of the Shield Legion already gathered before the door, most of them in nightclothes of one sort or another, but all armed and already taking up defensive positions. One of them, wearing only a pair of linen undershorts and his sword, looked abashed, but saluted along with the rest.

She nodded her approval and turned to the matter at hand. "What's our status?"

"Commander Clair, Her Majesty's personal guard have the Queen secure."

"Does anyone know what's going on?"

"Lady Clair!" She spun on her heel at the familiar voice of Farleen. Tynave was only a pace behind as they ran into the audience chamber and towards the members of the Shield Legion.

"Tynave, Farleen. Do you have any information about what's happening?"

"A group of men armed with strange weapons," replied Tynave. "At least forty."

"What kind of weapons?"

"They fire white beams almost like the runological weapons, but they're much smaller," said Farleen.

A white beam? That sounded like the weapons Nel had described. But that was impossible, wasn't it? "What did these men look like? Are they soldiers?"

Tynave shook her head. "They're not in uniform. Some even looked like bandits or hired thugs. They've already taken the gate."

Clair's thoughts raced, several worst case scenarios running through her mind. If these were weapons like those the Vendeeni had had then they were in a great deal of trouble indeed. The Vendeeni's weapons were amazingly advanced; a single shot from one such device had nearly killed Nel at Kirlsa. However, the Aquarian forced possessed runology and the Vendeeni's weapons and those who wielded them were still vulnerable to runology and runological weapons. While that did not entirely level the playing field, it was their greatest asset. Technology, even that from the stars, could be beaten; they had proven that already and they would do so again today if need be.

"All right..." said Clair slowly, already formulating a course of action. "This is what we're going to do. Van," she said turning to the young man, one of her runologists she had recently transferred to Elena's research unit, "we're going to need the prototypes Professor Elena has been working on– all three of them. Bring two of them to the east stairwell and one to the west. You three," she said gesturing towards three of the armed men in the ranks, "go with him and help bring them up. When you're done pull up the ladder in the weapons fabrication room and make sure the equipment controls are locked."

"Yes, ma'am."

Clair then turned to address another of the runologists. "Dima, you'll be stationed in the weapons development lab. The fact that it's open to the fabrication room on the first floor makes it vulnerable. Keep yourself out of sight and report if they make any attempt to reach the second floor via the fabrication room."

"Yes, Commander!"

"Tynave, Farleen, Aida, and whoever has a crossbow come with me. We're going to the first floor to buy some time. The rest of you take up position at the top of the east stairwell."

"Yes, ma'am!" And with that the Shield Legion jogged to their separate assignments. She didn't need to tell them that time was short. Tynave, Farleen, and Aida, as well as three more soldiers armed with crossbows, fell into step behind her. She glanced behind quickly to see who they were: Baren, Wrin, and Lina, all good officers who had fought in the final battle at Arias.

Clair had just reached the chamber entrance when she spotted a tall, robed figure approaching them. "Professor Elena?"

Elena bowed her head slightly. "Lady Clair, I've been apprised of the situation and I'd like to offer my services."

At these words Clair could not help but be grateful and proud to have such people at her side in the midst of this chaos, people willing to do anything they could to protect their home and their country. "Thank you, but I can't possibly allow that. You said that you thought I could do more behind the front lines, but that's true of no one more than it is of you. If you stand with us, we'll have to risk ourselves all the more to keep you safe." Elena nodded. "There is one thing you could do, though..."

"Yes?"

"We're using the prototypes you showed me as part of our defence. You said the wiring tends to overheat? After how many shots exactly and how long does it need to cool afterwards?"

Her lips pursed, Elena thought on this a moment. "The optimum firing pattern is three shots every five minutes. Any more than that and you risk shorting out the wiring which, in the worst case, could cause the runological cannon to explode."

Already Clair's mind was assessing, calculating, running scenarios in an attempt to formulate a strategy. "Thank you, Professor. That helps a great deal. Now please, return to the conference room. We'll take care of things here."

"Be well, Lady Clair."

Clair nodded and then they were off at a run heading towards the east staircase. They slowed once they reach the stairway where the sounds of running water from the aqueducts below covered the sound of their footsteps. It was only when they reached the first floor, away from the sound of water rebounding through the open stairwell, that they were able to make out the sounds of battle. As they rounded the corner to the main hall and were within sight of the palace entrance, they were able to catch a glimpse of the combatants. A handful of soldiers rushed through the palace doorway ducking left or right as a flurry of white beams followed after them. One beam struck home, lancing through one soldier's back and continuing straight through him. He cried out and fell and did not move after that. The other beams continued straight into the Chapel doors and blew them part. The air exploded with shards of wood and glass.

"Go!" she called out to the castle guardsmen. "Regroup at the top of the east stair. We'll take things from here."

"But, Commander–"

"That's an order. Go!"

As the soldiers raced towards the stairway Clair and her unit took up positions on either side of the doorway. She hazarded a look beyond the doorway, ducking back in as a crowd of armed men opened fire. Once again, white beams shot through the open entrance to the palace and towards the Chapel. Clair cringed as she heard glass shattering, knowing the beams must have reached the huge rose window on the Chapel's far wall. The weapons had excellent range, that much was obvious, for even now the men were a good hundred and fifty feet away, still in the outer courtyard and not yet in the antechamber that led to the palace proper where she and the others waited.

"We just need to buy time," said Clair, mentally trying to imagine how close the men were as each second passed. They had already destroyed the huge oak doors that led into the castle; now it was just a matter of walking straight through the antechamber, but they were moving cautiously rather than simply rushing in. "We're going to create a wall of flame in the entranceway of the chamber ahead. We'll need to make it continuous. Farleen, you first, then you, Aida, and then me. Wait until the moment they're about to set foot in the castle." Usually one needed to maintain visual contact with the target in order to use runology. If they tried to directly attack their enemies they would need to see them, but that would not be necessary in order to use a spell on a fixed point. She and the others were all familiar enough with the castle grounds to keep the target in their mind's eye and thus be able to hold the flame without seeing the doorway. Still, using runology continuously rather than in short bursts was extraordinarily taxing, hence the need to alternate casters.

Snatching up a shard of glass from the floor Clair angled it so that she could see a pale reflection from outside. They were close. She held her hand up and counted down with her fingers. When she balled her hand into a fist Farleen drew a deep breath and called on the runes of flame. There was a roar of fire and screams erupted from outside. The screaming continued for several moments and Clair shut her eyes and reminded herself that these men had chosen this path and were responsible for whatever harm came to them.

The remaining men began to shoot blindly through the fire, but there was nothing to hit and the shots again went safely past the members of the Shield Legion and into the Chapel of Apris. Clair signalled to Aida to take over the spell. The shooting continued, but, as the spell was then passed off to her, Clair was too occupied with casting the runes to be chagrined at the sounds of breaking glass and shattering stone that came from the Chapel behind her. As she felt the toll of the spell beginning to wear on her she passed it on to Farleen. "Tynave," she said turning to her.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"I want you to check on the progress in the fabrication room. Report back here when they have the runological cannons in position and bring Van."

"Yes, Lady Clair." And then Tynave was sprinting down hallway and turning into the west corridor. Hopefully it would not be long.

By the third time Clair was casting the spell, she was beginning to feel the fatigue that came with the use of runology. During her training they had practiced holding spells for long periods; several of her classmates, misjudging their endurance, had passed out in the attempt, a mistake that could be deadly in battle.

The men stopped shooting finally and she supposed they had decided to wait them out. They likely knew how taxing such use of runology would be; she could use that to her advantage. "Farleen, I'm going to let the flame go for a moment. Baren, Wrin, Lina,you'll have a few seconds before they start attacking again so take your shot and make it count." With a nod, they took up positions from which they could fire their crossbows into the doorway across the antechamber.

"Now!" Clair released the flame. It vanished instantly and an moment later the three crossbows fired. Sounds of alarm followed from outside and immediately the rebels opened fire once more, but Baren, Wrin, and Lina, had taken cover and Farleen had called the flames back again.

"Well done," said Clair. She kept her eyes on Farleen who had grown pale, sweat on her brow and her hands trembling. Aida, too, had noticed for she at once took up the spell. They would have to begin passing the spell on at shorter intervals now. It was with great relief that Clair spotted Tynave and Van racing towards them.

"Van, we're casting a spell of flame on the palace entrance. I need you to take my place and hold here for another few minutes until I give the signal."

"Yes, Commander."

"Tynave, you're with me." And with that Clair took off down the corridor with Tynave close behind her. She came to a stop when she reached the top of the west stairway where two members of the Shield Legion were standing by one of the runological cannons, chests heaving and dripping with sweat from the strain of getting the cannons up the steps.

From the top of the staircase she had a perfect view of the lower flight of stairs. Yes, this would work perfectly. She took a deep breath before she spoke. "I want you to aim the cannon at the middle of the lower half of the stairway and fire."

"What?"

It was difficult to say whether the looks on her soldiers' faces were more of shock or of horror, but she pressed on regardless. "We can't defend both stairways. If we destroy this one they'll have to concentrate their fire on the eastern stairway and we'll make our stand there."

"But Commander," one of the men protested, "we can't just blow up part of the castle."

"I'm giving you an order and I take full responsibility for this." He nodded, a little uncertainly, granted, but he did set about adjusting the cannon and Clair turned to the other man. "Go tell the others what's happening and have them set the other two cannons so that they're aimed towards the bottom of the eastern stairway."

"Yes, ma'am." And with a salute he was off to the opposite end of the castle where the rest of the Shield Legion waited.

"Tynave, as soon as we're ready here head down and tell Farleen and the others to fall back to the eastern stairway with the rest of us."

"Yes, Lady Clair."

Runological weaponry was not difficult to operate and required no runological training– that was the whole point after all– so it took the soldier little time to prepare the cannon. He glanced towards Clair, awaiting the order. Closing her eyes a moment, she took a deep breath. She hated what she was about to do, but there was no other way; if they were to successfully defend the castle, its inhabitant, and the Queen herself, this needed to be done.

"Fire."

As soon as he did, they both ducked for cover as the blast from the runological cannon struck the lower half of the stairs and sent chunks of pale stone flying in all directions. With a groan and a splash that sent water high enough to soak Clair, the shattered stone crashed into the aqueducts that flowed beneath the raised stairway, leaving a gap some twenty feet long, too great a distance for the enemy to bridge. It was done.

Tynave was off and running already as Clair turned to the soldier. "Bring this cannon to the east staircase with the others. After that take up position here and warn us if the enemy tries anything."

"Yes, Commander."

Brushing away strands of wet hair that clung to her face, Clair ran to meet the rest of the Shield Legion. Their expressions when she came around the corner were grim, but they saluted and awaited her orders.

"Runology will be key here as will the timing for the cannons. They're still experimental and overheat if fired too often. The cannon fire will be staggered at one minute intervals. In between we'll use runology to keep the enemy at bay. Remember that their weapons are deadly at long range so we have to stay behind cover as much as possible. Stay low. We have the high ground so we'll have an advantage; they will be much easier targets than we'll be. Tynave and the others will be returning momentarily. Hold your fire until then. Let's go."

A round of "Yes, ma'am" and "Yes Commander," followed and then they began taking up position on the far end of the upper flight of stairs where they had a clear view of the lower area from which the enemy would be approaching.

Moments later Tynave and the six others who'd taken up position by the entrance appeared around the corner and made their way up to the second floor. They looked unharmed, though the three runologists appeared pale and on the verge of collapse."Wrin, Lina, Baren, take up positions. Pick off any of the enemy you can with your crossbows. Farleen, Van, Aida, take cover and rest for now."

Farleen made it two steps down the hall before her trembling limbs gave way and she sank down against the wall. Tynave went to check on her but she seemed to be fine so Clair turned her attention to the rest of the Legion. There was a good chance that by the end of this all the runologists would all be in a similar state. But there was not much the others could do; swords were all but useless in a battle such as this one.

In the few moments of silence that followed, Clair found her thoughts turning to Nel, wondering if she was safe. It seemed, however, that for once it was she rather than Nel who was in the greatest danger. She tried to imagine what Nel might be doing. Would she still be prowling the streets or gathering information at the tavern at this time of night or would she be asleep in her room at the inn? Clair held on to that last image of Nel tucked safely beneath her blankets, her head resting on a pillow, and thought of the way the oftentimes stern lines of her face relaxed when she was soundly asleep. At least today when she fought, she would have the comfort of knowing the one she loved was well.

And then the silence was shattered by the sound footfalls, dozens of them, echoing through the castle hallways. The rebels moved cautiously, but did not stop to check any of the side rooms. Clair wondered if they possessed the same sort of device Fayt had had which allowed them to detect the presence of enemies at a distance and, if they did, how accurately so.

The Shield Legion could not see very far down the east corridor from where they had taken up position, so it was only by sound that they knew when the enemy finally neared the end of the corridor. Clair glanced towards the soldiers positioned by the cannons and they nodded. An instant later a barrage of white beams shot towards them as the armed men appeared at the bottom of the stairs. The first cannon fired a beam much like those of the enemy weapons, only larger and bright enough to sear her eyes as she watched it stab into the enemy ranks. It struck two men, leaving nothing but ash where they'd stood, and gouged the stone floor, leaving a fair sized crater. The force of the blow knocked several of the men off their feet and the first pair of runologists leaped forward, taking advantage of the enemy's confusion to. They called on lightning and fire and soon two more of the rebels had fallen.

"Get back under cover," she shouted, as she saw that one of the runologists was about to attempt another spell. The enemy was recovering quickly and several of the rebels had opened fire and one white beam caught the runologist in the chest; he was dead before his body hit the stone steps. The other managed to duck and, lying flat against the steps, struggle upwards to safer ground.

The second cannon fired, but already the rebels were drawing back to the bottom of the stairway beyond the range of the cannons and the runologists' attacks. There was a pause of a minute or so during which Clair could only assume they were rethinking their strategy. In all likelihood they had not taken into consideration the presence of runologists in the castle, nor of members of the Shield Legion. They had probably expected to face little resistance save the castle guard who would be helpless against their technologically superior weapons. But relying only on might without proper planning and strategy was a grievous error on their part, one she intended to take full advantage of.

What followed when the rebels did reappear was a game of cat and mouse; several men would come out from under cover, ducking low to fire upwards while the runologists, similarly positioned on the opposing flight of stairs above, cast spells, unleashing the power of elemental forces upon their foes while Wrin, Lina, and Baren provided cover fire with their crossbows and the occasional blast from one of the runological cannons.

Clair didn't know how long they could hold out, but they had no choice for there was no help on the way. Either they held here or the castle and the Kingdom of Aquaria itself would fall.

**ooo**

Clair was not certain how long the battle had lasted. It was still night. The stone bannister along the stairway had been blasted to pieces, giving them that much less cover from their enemies, and the steps themselves on both the upper an lower flights were pockmarked from the blasts of the alien weapons and from the discharge of runological energy. She's lost four runologists so far and another– Van– was injured; enemy fire had grazed his left leg and the charred wound was bleeding freely. She had asked for volunteers from the group ensconced in the conference room to come and tend the wounded and the runologists who'd succumbed to fatigue. It was difficult to tell how many of the rebels they'd managed to disable, but several bodies were visible at the bottom of stairs. She had had one of the regular soldiers take Dima's place watching over the weapons fabrication room. Dima could use runology and Clair needed everyone with any runological ability here. Crossbow bolts were in short supply; the runologists were becoming increasingly fatigued; one of the cannons, scalding hot to the touch, was out of commission; and the other two were growing dangerously hot as well.

Glancing over her shoulder during a lull in the fighting, Clair counted the number of runologists who lay passed out or panting and unable to stand so weak were their trembling limbs, and felt something twist in her stomach. Their ability to continue to hold their position was rapidly diminishing. The enemy had for some time now been employing tactics meant to wear them out and it was working. Aida and Dima were at the top of the stair prepared to act, but they were the only remaining pair still standing. Some of the others would recover if given a little more time to rest, but for the moment this was it.

She returned her attention to the stairway as the sound of rapid weapons fire, more intense than it had been in some time, shattered the momentary stillness. A small group had ducked out from cover. One of the cannons was fired, though to little effect, for the men had already retreated. However, only a few seconds later a group a dozen strong made a run for the stairway. Aida and Dima leaped forward to meet them, but before they could get the spells out, a stray shot caught Dima in the arm. Aida, who was already fighting exhaustion managed only a weak flame which Clair knew would not be enough to drive back the attack.

Without hesitation, Clair stepped onto the stairway, ducking down for cover as she called on the most powerful lightning runes she knew. The air crackled with electricity and a column of lightning struck repeatedly at the cluster of men on the steps, killing one while two more were knocked off their feet. The rest kept coming. "Fire the cannon!" shouted Clair, throwing herself flat on the steps as she felt one of the white beams lancing by her, a hair's breadth from her side. If she died here would Nel ever know? She dismissed the thought from her mind as quickly as it had appeared and concentrated on the next spell. She felt as much as she heard the cannon firing overhead and down towards the soldiers, but already a few of them had reached the top of the first flight, past the range of the cannons and were turning towards the second flight. Clair called on flame to drive them back. The foremost man screamed as the runological flame seared his flesh, but as he fell a charge was released from the weapon in his hand, lancing over Clair's head and striking one of the overheated cannons. Immediately it began to emit a high pitch whine of increasing intensity.

She was still pinned down on the steps, unable to rise due to the enemy fire which had resumed from the bottom of the stairway, so had to resort to shouting to the nearest member of the Legion. "Push it down the steps!"

"What?"

"The cannon."

"But Commander–"

"Now!"

He and another soldier began heaving the cannon down the steps. Clair scrambled to get out of the way as it thundered past. She was just a few paces away from the top of the stairway and the rest of her unit when the cannon exploded.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Nel's heart thudded in her chest at the sight of Aquios, its towers a shadow on the dark horizon. She and Adray had left Peterny the same night they'd uncovered the plan to attack Castle Aquaria, a day behind the rebels and desperate to make up time. Even so, before they'd left Peterny they'd had to take the time to inform the head of the Chain Legion of what they'd learned and order them to take into custody the group of merchants they suspected were involved in the plot. A message had also been dispatched to the Shield Legion in Arias ordering them to return to Aquios. A detachment of the Chain Legion was headed there to the capitol as well , but they would be too late to do much good. What truly frightened Nel, however, was the knowledge that, in all likelihood, she as well would be too late.

They had barely paused to rest during the length of the trip and twice they'd stopped at farmhouses along the way to commandeer fresh horses with the promise of returning them later. As a member of the Crimson Blade Nel was granted the authority of the Queen and though she rarely used that privilege, this time she did so without a second thought. If there was any way to arrive in Aquios in time to warn them, she would take it.

Dawn light was casting a rosy hue on the stones of the city when they finally reached Moonlit Bridge. The horses' hooves thundered over the paving stones, drowning out the roaring river that flowed beneath, but just barely audible over the pounding of her pulse in her ears. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Adray, but she did not need to look at his face to know his craggy features were deeply lined with worry. He had said little since they'd left, but then neither had she.

Nel was certain that they'd made up a great deal of time. The rebels wouldn't have rushed as she and Adray had. A group as large as the rebels' would have travelled separately to avoid being conspicuous and, once in Aquios, would certainly have taken some time to gather together and prepare for the attack. Yet the hush of the city, even at this early hour, felt unnatural. Her stomach clenched as she glimpsed the ruins in the distance where she and Clair had so often met in days past... _Oh gods, Clair, please be safe..._

Empty streets greeted them as they arrived in Aquios proper. Nel thought she glimpsed pale faces pressed against the window of homes as they raced down the main boulevard of the city, but otherwise she saw no sign of life. However, it was when they lay eyes on the demolished front gate of the castle that Nel truly felt her insides turn to water. As they slowed their mounts and came to a halt before the pile of rubble that had once been the arched gate leading to the castle's outer courtyard, Nel had to steel herself to be able to dismount without her knees giving way beneath her. Balling her fists to keep her hands from shaking, Nel scanned the area for any signs of life, whether friend or foe, but nothing moved. The still forms of several of the castle guard protruded from the rubble and she could see more bodies scattered in the courtyard beyond.

Nel drew her twin swords before moving forward. Adray, she noted, had already drawn his blade, but even without it the ferociousness of his scowl would have daunted most men. Without a word to her he stalked onto the castle grounds like an angered lion. Nel followed close behind.

The grounds were still, the only sound coming from the wind whipping through a tattered banner caught in a mound of rubble near the gate. They found more bodies at the entrance to the castle antechamber. Kneeling down to inspect them for a moment Nel felt a spark of hope rise within her. "These aren't our people," said Nel.

Adray grunted. "Clair wouldn't let them take the castle without a struggle."

"She _is_ a Lasbard," said Nel.

"That she is." She thought she saw a wistful smile on his face, but just as quickly as it had appeared it was gone and they proceeded past the charred bodies and into the antechamber.

Moving with silent steps towards the castle's main entrance, Nel had runes of battle on the tip of her tongue, ready to unleash a storm of fire or ice at a moment's notice. But the stillness remained undisturbed and all they could hear was the steady flow of the aqueducts that ran the length of the castle's main corridors. It soon became apparent, however, that a battle of some intensity had taken place there at the castle entrance, for the doors to the Chapel lay in splinters and shards of the doors' pale blue stained glass crunched beneath their boots as they approached.

Nel caught Adray's eye and signalled her intention to enter the Chapel. Even as she took her first steps onto the raised walkway and looked out over the Chapel, it was clear to her that the area was free of enemies. The rose window on the far side of the Chapel, directly opposite the entrance, was shattered and the yellow and red shards littered the space below. Both the raised aqueducts that flanked the window had been destroyed and the resulting rubble was strewn through the Chapel while the water they normally channelled sloshed onto the marble floor, creating a lake in the main worship area. She wondered for a moment why the water was not higher but then realized that a good deal of it was being washed down into the underground passageway that led to Kaddan, though she was puzzled as to why the passage lay open at all. In any case it was clear that while the battle had not taken place here, the phase guns the rebels sported had been powerful enough to damage the Chapel even from a distance. However, though the shambles of the Chapel were painful to look upon, Nel found herself little concerned with it. All she wanted was to know what had become of the others– of the Shield Legion, the Queen, and Clair.

As she emerged she nodded to Adray and they began making their way the down corridor. They paused before turning the corner into the western hallway; it was difficult to make out the sound of their own footsteps above that of the flowing water, let alone an approaching enemy's. Nel darted a glance around the corner. The west hallway appeared to be empty, but her heart leaped into her throat as she saw the demolished stairway at the far end of the corridor.

"What is it?" hissed Adray.

Nel shook her head and stepped into the empty hallway. She heard a sharp intake of breath from Adray as he followed and saw the remains of the western stairway. Blades gripped in her hands, heart racing, Nel moved forward with slow steps; it would be easy for someone to ambush them from the corridor that branched off ahead and led to the library of runology. They had only taken a few paces before Nel thought she heard the scuffle of footsteps ahead. She ducked into a doorframe on the right just in time to catch a glimpse of a man armed with a phase gun rounding the corner of the very corridor she'd been concerned about. A runological spell was already on her lips when a voice rang through the hallway.

"Hold your fire."

Nel immediately stepped out into the hallway for were she to live a hundred centuries she could never mistake that voice. "Clair?"

And then there emerged from around the corner a scraggly band in nightclothes or tattered uniforms. Several of them were armed with phase guns, but they were unmistakeably the members of the Shield Legion who'd come with Clair to Aquios. And then there was Clair herself, marching down the corridor toward Nel who found herself for several moments fixed to the spot before she surged forward with long strides to meet the commander of the Shield Legion. Clair sported only a nightshirt and trousers, her hair was loose and coated with thick white dust, and she looked deathly pale, but Nel's heart swelled with gratitude and joy at seeing her alive and unharmed, though her eyes latched on to a gash in Clair's right temple and the blood that oozed down the side of her face.

"Nel," said Clair quietly, a smile touching her lips as they met halfway down the corridor.

Nel reached out to take hold of Clair's chin and tilt her head to one side so she could inspect the bleeding gash.

"It's not bad," assured Clair, placing her hand over Nel's.

Nel nodded and then moved to embrace Clair. "I was worried," she whispered.

"Now you know how it feels." The lightness of Clair's tone brought a smile to Nel's lips and she could not help but hold on to her a few moments longer than she knew was really appropriate for appearances. As Nel released her, Clair caught sight of Adray standing a short distance away. "Father, you're here too."

"Clair," he said with a nod.

"What happened here?" asked Nel, looking again towards the collapsed stairway at the far end of the hall.

Clair gave them a brief account of the attack and how they'd managed to hold the castle's second storey and of how the battle had ended abruptly when one runological cannons had been hit by a phase gun beam and exploded, collapsing the eastern stairway completely– and nearly taking Clair with it.

"The Queen's safe," added Clair, "but the enemy disappeared after the explosion. We managed to get a handful of weapons they left behind, but the number of bodies doesn't account for the whole of the group. Did you see anyone on your way in?"

Nel shook her head. "No one." But then she remembered something which had niggled at her thoughts when they had first entered the castle, though, she'd been too worried about Clair's welfare to pay it much heed. "Is there any reason why the passageway to Kaddan would be open?"

"What?"

"When I checked the Chapel for enemies on the way here I noticed it was open. They must have gone down there."

"But why? If they'd wanted to escape they could easily have left the palace."

Nel's expression was grim; she could think of only one reason. "They must be after the Sacred Orb. From what I learned in Peterny they got their weapons from a man on a celestial ship. He must have asked them to retrieve the Sacred Orb as well." Fayt and the others had called the Orb an OPA– an "out of place artifact", an object far in advance of the technological development of the world on which it was found, usually an exceedingly powerful one– and then they'd discovered that Orb was the creation of the 4-D beings. The Orb was indeed an object of power and if the Vendeeni had coveted it then she supposed she ought not to be surprised that others would as well. "I'll have to go down there."

"You're not going down alone," stated Clair.

Nel shook her head. "You've been fighting all night; you're exhausted."

"So are you; you rode through the night," countered Clair. "And besides that the Shield Legion is charged with defending Castle Aquaria and I'm in command here."

"Yes, ma'am," said Nel.

Clair's lips twitched at this, but she managed to keep a straight face as she signalled for three members of her unit, Farleen Wrin, and Lina, all armed with the discarded phase guns, to join her. None of them, Nel noted, were runologists; most of them must have exhausted themselves during the course of the battle. As they set out for the Chapel and the hidden passageway within it, Adray followed silently behind, and Nel could only wonder what he was thinking...

**ooo**

They were gathered at the top of the steps leading down in to the passageway to the Shrine of Kaddan when Clair stopped and turned to the three officers she'd brought along. "The Shrine took a great deal of damage during the Vendeeni's attack and there's no telling what these rebels have done to it so let's not add to the mess. Fire those weapons only when absolutely necessary."

"Yes, commander."

After that they descended the stairs, careful of their footing as the water from the broken aqueducts continued sloshing down into the passageway. Nel and Clair took the lead while Adray brought up the rear. They made their way along the underground causeway lined with pillars and statues of the goddess Irisa and reached the Sealed Cavern in short order. Soon, they were winding their way through its dusky corridors which showed the telltale pockmarks of recent weapons' fire. Few of the beasts that usually inhabited the cavern remained, most having been dispatched by the rebels. When they did run into one, Nel and Clair quickly stepped forward to deal with it. Adray had intended to step in to help, but soon realized it was quite unnecessary to do so. Instead, he observed.

Since Adray was so often sent on missions to the north of the continent thanks to Lasselle he tended to be out of touch with current events in his own country, but he was not so out of touch as to be unaware of the fame of his and Nevelle's daughters. They were known both in and outside of Aquaria and were often referred to as "the double-edged Crimson Blade". Watching them, he could– grudgingly– understand why. They fought with amazing efficiency, each alternating between blades and runology, keeping their foes under constant pressure without exhausting themselves. While Nel attacked the foe with her twin swords, Clair called on bolts of lightning; when Nel drew back, Clair stepped forward, slashing with her dagger while Nel called upon razor-sharp shards of ice. Their attacks blended together so that where one ended, the next began. It was like watching a dance.

He knew that they had trained together and fought side by side early on before they'd been given their present commands, but this was the first time he had seen it for himself. That they had trained together was evident by their familiarity with each other's fighting style, but there was something more Adray sensed there. To fight as they did required more than simple knowledge; it required an innate understanding the one of the other, so that in battle they knew intuitively how to move together, how to complement each other's abilities, and it necessitated that they trust each other unquestioningly. It was rare to find such a battle partner. When Adray fought the only thing he trusted in unquestioningly was his sword.

In short order the beast lay slain and Nel sheathed her swords. Adray watched, tight-lipped, as Clair turned smiling to Nel and said, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It has. You haven't lost your touch."

"Nor have you, Nel." And Clair smiled.

Adray sighed and trudged along. He'd really been hoping for grandchildren...

**ooo**

The Shrine of Kaddan was still in shambles after the Vendeeni's attack with many a demolished wall and toppled pillar, so it was difficult to tell whether the rebels' foray into the shrine had done further damage. Nel kept alert as they made their way through the broad passages, but the only sound was that of their footsteps ringing hollowly on the large stone floor tiles. It was not until they reached the heart of the shrine that they heard voices drifting through the open door to the final chamber where the Sacred Orb was kept, and which Nel herself had returned to its proper place once Luther had been defeated.

"What do you mean we have to get back outside before you can take us to your ship?" A pause. "You can't transport us from here? Dammit! You said if things went wrong you'd get us out of here as long as we had the Orb." Nel managed to dart a glance through the door and counted eight men including the one who was speaking. He seemed to be addressing no one in particular, but was holding a small object pressed against his ear and Nel could only assume it was some sort of communication device such as the one Maria had used to contact her ship.

Nel signalled the information to the others. She glanced at Clair and knew they were thinking the same thing: there was little in the way of cover in the chamber in which the Sacred Orb rested; they would have to ambush the men as they exited. Clair motioned Wrin, Adray, and Lina to one side of the doorway while she, Nel, and Tynave took up position on the other side. They did not have to wait long.

No sooner had the first men stepped through the doorway than Adray, Nel, and Clair struck at them with runology before they could even get their weapons up. Wrin, Lina, and Tynave followed up with blasts from the phase guns. However, when Nel scanned the floor she counted only six bodies. Damn.

Nel pulled back into the cover provided by the pillar that flanked the doorway to the Orb's chamber, pulling Clair with her as she did and pressing her close as a flurry of white beams lashed through the doorway. She watched Wrin fall, but the others managed to get to cover safely.

"Can you manage another round of runology?" Nel asked, worried by Clair's pallor.

"I'm fine. Flame or lightning?"

"Flame, through the doorway. Just a short burst to rattle them and then I'll go in."

Clair nodded. Loosing her grip on Clair and stepping slightly out of the cover of the pillar, Nel gripped her blades and prepared her own incantation; the timing would be critical.

Clair's flame leaped through the doorway and at once the shooting stopped and was replaced by cries of alarm. The moment the flame vanished Nel rolled towards the doorway, coming in low as she called upon a flurry of lightning bolts, taking out one of the remaining men, but she hesitated as she saw that the second one clutched the Sacred Orb. She did not dare strike at him with runology while he held it.

The second man had gathered his wits enough to raise his weapon to fire, but he never had the chance. He fell to the floor and did not move while the Sacred Orb rolled across the chamber. Slightly stunned at the abrupt end of the battle, it took Nel a moment to see the dagger buried to the hilt in the man's side. She nodded her thanks to Clair and moved to retrieve the Sacred Orb and place it carefully back on the pedestal where it belonged.

It was only then, as she set down the Orb and realized that the battle was over, that her weariness– from lack of sleep and the worry of the past several days– swept over her. Glancing over her shoulder towards Clair she was certain she saw the same fatigue reflected in Clair's face

Clair smiled wanly as she noticed Nel looking at her. "Time to pick up the pieces," she said quietly.

"Seems that's all we do lately."

"It's better than the alternative..." said Clair and Nel followed her gaze to Wrin who lay quite still where he'd fallen.

Nel nodded and together they left the chamber of the Sacred Orb to begin the long process of restoring what had been broken.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

As she walked the corridors of Castle Aquaria the afternoon after the attack, past soldiers in nightshirts, panicked nobles, and runologists so pale they looked like the living dead, Nel found that the world had taken on that surreal feeling it sometimes did after battle. She had never seen such chaos in Castle Aquaria, not even when the Vendeeni's ship had appeared over Aquios. It hardly seemed like the calm, unchanging place where she and Clair had trained, where the continuos sound of flowing water had always been a balm upon troubled hearts. Over the years Nel had become so used to the sound that she generally filtered it out of her awareness, but now, with the water's flow disrupted by the rubble in the waterways on the first floor, its rhythm had changed and the wrongness of the sound gnawed at her, rubbing her nerves raw, even during the few hours of sleep she'd managed to snag amidst the chaos. During these past months so much of what she'd believed in, so much of what she'd thought to be true and unchanging, had proved ephemeral, or even a lie. She had seen an end to the war, seen foes become allies, looked at her world from the stars, seen the very gods that had created that world unmasked. It was hard to find solid ground when so much of what she'd believed had been laid to waste.

Desperate to calm her restless thoughts, Nel ducked into the conference room on the second floor which, by the afternoon, had been emptied out. The wounded who'd been treated here and in the hallways during the standoff had been taken to more suitable facilities, though it had been a complicated process due to the difficulty of reaching the second storey, currently accessible only through the weapon fabrication room. They'd had to lay planks across the remaining sections of the west stairway and carefully bring the injured down over it.

Heaving a sigh, Nel made her way to the one window in the conference room and looked out upon the grounds. At least in this room she could no longer hear the disrupted flow of the castle waterways. She wondered when the Chain Legion would arrive; the Shied Legion and what remained of the castle guard could certainly stand to be relieved.

"Nel?"

She took it as a indication of her fatigue that she'd not heard the approaching footsteps, but she was grateful as she turned and saw Clair standing in the doorway. She was dishevelled and still in a nightshirt with the pale dust of powdered stone coating her hair and dark circles beneath her eyes, but Nel was relieved to see that the blood had been washed from her face and a bandage pasted over the gash in her temple. "Hello, Clair."

"Have you gotten any rest?"Clair asked.

"Two or three hours. You?"

"Less than that."

Nel shook her head. "You need to rest before you collapse like the rest of your runologists did."

Clair moved across the room and joined Nel at the window. "I know and I will. There's just been so much to do... I'm glad you're here," she whispered as she embraced Nel, laying her head on Nel's shoulder.

She could feel Clair leaning into her, could almost feel Clair's exhaustion washing over her and knew that it was not only the fatigue of the past day and of the battle that wore on her, but the same doubts and confusion that had troubled Nel's own thoughts. "I wish I could've arrived earlier," she said as she wound her arms around Clair's waist.

They remained like that for several minutes and it was Nel who broke the silence. "Clair, I've been thinking... In a few days when things have settled down somewhat I thought we could talk to the Queen." At this Clair raised her head and looked directly at Nel. "You still want to marry me?"

"Of course," she replied without hesitation and Nel could not help but be pleased with the slight note of exasperation in Clair's voice as she said it. "Nothing could change that, but are you sure you're ready to risk your command? I doubt Her Majesty would really object, but there's a slim chance she'd want to reassign one of us."

"I know," said Nel, nodding. "I'd hoped with the end of the war there wouldn't any longer be a chance of my ending up under your command, but after today... Still, I want this." As she said it, she tightened her grip, pressing Clair against her so that she could feel the warmth of her body soaking into her.

"Then I think we should talk to the Queen."

All at once Nel felt as joyful as she had on the night Clair had first accepted the ring; she was embarrassed by the thought, but a small part of her had feared that Clair might have changed her mind in the intervening years. Nel glanced quickly towards the corridor to be sure no one was passing by and then leaned in and kissed her.

A thrill ran through Nel at the touch of those lips, their softness, their warmth, and, as she let her fingers caress Clair's face and tangle into her hair, she felt for a moment the rest of world fall away– until the familiar trill of a transporter and an even more familiar voice brought the world crashing right back.

"Whoa! Hot stuff!"

They leaped apart and Nel could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she turned to face their newly arrived guests.

"Hello, Cliff, Fayt," said Clair with such perfect calm that Nel could only marvel.

Cliff was eyeing them both with apparent amusement. "Didn't know you two were so close."

Nel resisted the urge to reach for her sword hilt and, instead, crossed her arms over her chest and said in a glacial tone, "Well now you know."

"Sca-ree," drawled Cliff.

Fayt, shaking his head stepped forward. "Sorry. We didn't mean to– uh– interrupt. Did something happen here?"

"You could say that," replied Nel.

Nel gave them the breakdown of the past days' events, stressing what she'd learned in Peterny about the source of the weapons and what they'd overheard from the man with the communicator about the Sacred Orb. At the end of her account Cliff slammed his fist into his palm. "There was a ship in orbit when we arrived but they took off as soon as we came out of gravitic warp like they had half the Federation fleet on their tails. We didn't even get a proper sensor reading on them."

Her fatigue was beginning to catch up to her, Nel knew, for she felt at the very end of her patience at this news. "Is this going to happen from now on? Are we going to have to spend all our time defending ourselves against people from out there?" She gestured vaguely towards the ceiling and then put her hands on her hips and glared at Cliff. "I thought your people had laws against interfering with other worlds."

Cliff shrugged. "Hey don't get so worked up. Things are pretty chaotic out there right now. With most of the Federation gone there's no one to police these sorts of thing anymore. But I'll look into it, don't worry."

"I wonder, though..." began Fayt. "It had to be somebody who had access to information records about the Sacred Orb. That narrows the field quite a bit."

"It does," said Cliff slowly. "I don't like it."

"Another hunch?" asked Fayt.

Cliff nodded. "Yeah. Not the good kind, though. You still set on staying here, kid? May not be much of a hiding place anymore."

"Actually I'm even more determined. I'd like to keep an eye out for any more off-world activity. Maybe I can even track down the ones responsible."

Nel shook her head. "They're long gone now I imagine. They probably fled to Greeton at the first sign of trouble."

"Well there's no reason I can't travel there. Besides it might be interesting to see the place I'm supposed to come from."

"The Legion of the Void which operates in Greeton reports to me," said Nel. "I'll put you in contact with one of their agents. If you're bent on going to Greeton you'll need to be briefed."

"All right. Thanks."

"I'm gonna go back up to the ship and see if we can't start getting some answers," said Cliff. "You got any of the weapons they used? It might help identify the source."

Clair nodded. "Come with me."

"No, I'll take them," offered Nel. "You should get some rest."

"All right. I'll see you later."

**ooo**

"From the two rebels we captured in Peterny and the ones who survived the battle here, we've been able to get a complete list of names of those involved in the plot," said Nel, remaining on one knee before the Queen as she continued her report, taking up the thread where Clair, also waiting on bended knee at the foot of the dias, had left off with hers. "Several of them were merchants' sons acting without the knowledge of their parents, but the ringleaders themselves were among their fathers, the wealthiest merchants of Peterny and they've already fled. It seems they had made arrangements long in advance to flee our borders if their plot failed. There's little chance of catching up to them now, though Fayt has decided to travel to Greeton to learn what he can."

"I see," said the Queen. "And what of the weapons they obtained?"

"We confiscated whatever was left in Peterny and those that remained after the battle here. Lady Elena is studying them as we speak. However we still have little clue as to the identity of the man who contacted the merchants in the first place. Cliff has promised to do what he can to find out, but at present we have no further leads."

As she came to the end of her report, Nel resisted the urge to sigh. The past week had been a long one, rife with turmoil and heartbreak as the news of the attack on Aquios had spread through the country and arrests had been made in Peterny. Especially difficult had been the services held for the many soldiers and runologists who had lost their lives in the attack. The bulk of the Shield Legion had finally arrived from Arias to take over the protection of Aquios and Nel's agents as well as those responsible for territories within the Samnite Republic and the Kingdom of Greeton were on high alert, making certain that no other powers intended to try to take advantage of Aquaria's weakened state. It seemed, though, that things were beginning to settle into a state _approaching_ normalcy, though Nel did not think things would ever be quite the same again. Even in the castle it would be some time before things were repaired. A temporary wooden stairway had been constructed over the remains of the west stair to allow access to the second floor, but it would be months before the masons were able to rebuild both stairways. The repairs to the Chapel would take even longer.

After a long moment of silence during which the Queen reflected upon the information her two officers had given her, she finally spoke. "Clair, you are to be commended for your quick thinking. Were it not for you the castle itself might have fallen into the rebels' hands. You have truly honoured the Crimson Blade."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"And, Nel, thank you for your efforts in uncovering those behind this conspiracy. Your service is, as always, exemplary."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"If your report is complete you are free to go."

" I..." Nel trailed off, suddenly nervous at the prospect of asking the Queen for the permission she needed to marry Clair. Their status as commanding officers had the potential to cause conflict within the ranks. She was ready to sacrifice her position in the Aquarian forces, as was Clair, but the prospect of disappointing the Queen whom she'd strived her hardest to serve well and faithfully all these years, made her tongue heavy and her mouth dry.

"Is there something else you wished to address?" asked the Queen.

"Yes, Your Majesty. A personal matter."

"Indeed?"

Nel took a deep breath. "I wish Your Majesty's permission to marry a fellow officer."

"You mean Lady Clair of course," said the Queen.

Flustered at the Queen's casual tone, Nel found herself quite unable to speak, but Clair replied without missing a beat. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Nel chided herself for being surprised– after all the Queen had many sources of information so why should she be unaware of a relationship between two of her senior officers? And the fact that she was aware of their relationship and had never brought it up seemed to indicate that she found nothing objectionable in it. Yet even realizing this, Nel found herself holding her breath as she waited for the Queen to speak.

"Your relationship has never before interfered with your work and I do not see why it would begin to now. I have no objections." And then she smiled, a rare enough occurrence for the Queen in these troubled times. "May the blessing of Apris be upon you both."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," they said in tandem and, with that, stood and made their way out of the audience chamber.

When they had reached the corridor beyond the chamber, Nel could no longer restrain herself and swept Clair into her arms, smiling broadly. As relief washed over her, a laugh, deep and full, poured out of her like water bubbling from an underground spring. When she drew back to look into Clair's face she saw the joy she felt mirrored there.

"I can't remember the last time I heard you laugh like that, Nel."

Grinning, Nel breathed a sigh of relief. "I was nervous, more than I have been since... since I gave you the ring I suppose."

"You were as pale as a sheet in there. Did you really think Her Majesty would object?"

"I hardly know what I thought, but I am glad it's over. And I have you. And no one can object to it."

As she said this last, Clair groaned and let her head droop on Nel's shoulder. "I'd almost forgotten... My father. We'll have to tell him."

And while Nel did not relish the thought of a another conversation with Adray such as the one they'd had on the way to Peterny, she was in too good a mood to be greatly distressed at the thought. Instead, she placed a kiss on Clair's brow. "We'll manage." And then, as they began walking down the corridor hand in hand, she added, "Or we could always elope." This earned a smile from Clair, and for the first time in the past week Nel felt that she'd again found solid ground.

**ooo**

The Chapel lay in ruins still. Though the water had been rerouted so it no longer sloshed into the main worship area, huge chunks of rubble from the aqueducts littered it, as did shards of glass from the shattered rose window and splintered wood from the podium and several of the pews which had been crushed by falling stone. The statue of Apris set beneath the shattered window had been toppled and remained lying on its side. And yet, even amidst this destruction, today all Clair could see was beauty, for there was Nel standing at the far end of the Chapel, dressed in her formal military attire. Dressed in a long coat, finely stitched, with gold buttons that caught the sunlight which poured through the gaping hole where the rose window had been, trousers pressed to perfection, knee-high boots polished till they shined, and the Blades of Ryusen at her hips, Nel cut a stunning figure and Clair could hardly take her eyes off her. Nel stood there, tall, strong, proud, and Clair felt joy and gratitude swirling through her, making her heart– and her stomach too, for she had to admit there was a smidgen of nervousness in the mix– flutter.

"Clair."

Her head swivelled to face her father as she realized he'd called her name– more than once. "I'm sorry, father. You were saying?"

Adray sighed and cast a glance in Nel's direction, shaking his head. "Never mind. Now, Clair," he said placing his hands on her shoulders.

He was a full head taller than she and Clair was perfectly aware that his stature easily intimidated others– a fact he frequently used to his advantage– but it was an effect he had never had on her, and, as he towered over her, she stared him straight in the eyes, steeling herself against whatever nonsense he was about to speak. She only hoped he wouldn't cause a scene, or otherwise embarrass her– please not today! She half expected him to tell her he had found someone who would be a suitable husband and that everything was arranged, much as he had with her runologists and Fayt. She was surprised at the gentleness of his tone when he did speak. "You have your heart set on this?"

"Yes, father."

"You're certain? Because there's still time to back out and I'm sure I could find you a suitable–"

"I'm sure, father," she stated, setting her jaw and crossing her arms, ready for an argument if it came to that. She'd been more than a little surprised when he'd taken the news of the upcoming marriage so quietly and she'd had nightmarish visions of his creating a scene at the wedding itself.

But after a slight pause Adray only nodded. "So... no grandchildren then."

This drew a smile from Clair. "I'm sorry, father."

He looked again towards Nel and heaved a sigh. "I often wished Nevelle had had a son, a fine red-headed lad just like he was. I suppose if you have to marry someone's daughter it might as well be Nevelle's."

Clair turned and was moving to join Nel at the far end of the Chapel when her father called her again. "Clair."

"Yes?"

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she whispered, deeply grateful and trying to pull herself together as she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. The long dress she wore was fairly plain, a deep grey much like her regular uniform, though cut low, leaving her shoulders bare. She also wore a silver neckless studded with a small emerald. It had been her mother's. A circlet was the only thing holding back her dark hair which she had left untied today, knowing how much Nel loved to see it loose.

When she finally moved to join Nel where she waited, Clair found herself keenly aware of the way her footsteps echoed through the Chapel, up to its vaulted ceiling and along the pillared walls and railings above. She could not remember ever feeling so self-conscious and she was thankful that there was no one here to witness it, for they had made a point of having this be a small, private ceremony, with only her father and the high priestess. Nel looked little more relaxed as she kept shifting from one foot to another. She turned at the sound of Clair's footsteps, and the look of utter amazement and love on Nel's face was almost too much for Clair to bear and she found herself wiping her eyes.

Nel's smile looked almost shy as Clair came to stand before her and it seemed so strange as to be comical to see her dear friend, undaunted by the finest soldiers in Airyglyph, by monsters and dragons, struck with timidity by her own presence. Smiling and looking into her eyes, Clair took Nel's trembling hands in hers and the ceremony began.

As per tradition, Nel's right hand and Clair's left were loosely bound by a braided cord during the course of the ceremony. Much of it, however, was a blur to Clair. She knelt when the high priestess asked them to kneel and stood when they were to stand, and spoke the lines they'd rehearsed, but all she was truly aware of during that space of time was that constant contact with Nel's hand and the realization that that cord was a physical representation of the bond that the ceremony itself created, binding them each to the other. Though she had of course known this before, it struck her now with a vibrancy and power that stirred the depths of her being. It was not till they turned to face each other again in order to exchange the rings that she realized the tears that had threatened to spill out earlier were running down her cheeks.

Nel's hands were still shaking as Clair slid the ring she'd worn so long around her neck onto Nel' finger. She clasped Nel's hands for a long moment until her trembling had ceased and Nel was able to slip the ring's twin onto Clair's finger.

And then it was over. The rings became the outward sign of their bond in place of the cord and its removal signalled the end of the ceremony. Nel leaned close and kissed her ever so gently, and Clair's heart nearly burst from her chest when a collective whoop sounded through the Chapel. She and Nel both spun to find a crowd gathered at the back of the Chapel. They must have entered after the beginning of the ceremony while she– and Nel too, it seemed– had been too entranced to notice. Most of the Shield Legion had come and the members of the Secret Legion presently in Aquios, Lady Elena, too, and there, at the forefront, Fayt and Cliff.

"Hey you two," Cliff called out. "Rumour has it you were planning to have a quite ceremony all to yourselves."

"It's called discretion," said Nel as they joined their friends and comrades at the other end of the Chapel. "But I don't suppose you'd have heard of it." Yet no one could mistake the smile on Nel's face and the lightness of her tone. They had spent years doing their best to keep their relationship private. It had been a matter of necessity then and become a habit, but things were different now and Clair felt almost lightheaded at the thought that they no longer had to hide. Everyone was here. Everyone knew. And that was all right. "How it is you're here anyway?"

Cliff shrugged. "Fayt told me what you had planned and what can I say? I wasn't about to miss it."

"Congratulations," said Fayt, stepping forward and offering his hand which they clasped each in turn.

"And how did _you_ know?" Clair asked him.

"Word gets around," replied Fayt with a grin and Clair had a niggling suspicion that her father had once again decided to tinker with her life. At least this one time it had been for the better.

Soon they were swallowed up by the crowd of well wishers who offered their congratulations and the blessing of Apris. "I'm happy to see you finally took some time to stop being busy and instead be young," said Elena when she reach them.

"As am I," replied Nel, squeezing Clair's hand.

"This seems a rather odd choice for the location of the ceremony, however, given the Chapel's current state."

Nel nodded. "That's true, but it had to be here. If it were elsewhere..."

"It would be as if our enemies had won," continued Clair, articulating a feeling she knew they had both experienced but not actually discussed; the decision to be married in the Chapel had been unspoken and understood perfectly between them. "It would mean allowing them to take away something important, the way we live, the things we value. The Chapel can be rebuilt just as the rest of the castle can. Being here is an affirmation of that belief."

Elena nodded thoughtfully and then stepped aside for the others who wanted to wish the two commanders well.

When everyone had passed on their congratulations and well wishes and while Cliff haggled with several members of the Shield Legion about where to go to celebrate further, Nel and Clair seized the opportunity to step away from the others for a moment. Nel leaned her forehead against Clair's, holding her hand, her thumb moving over the ring on Clair's finger. "I wanted to tell you something. I meant to earlier, but then I saw you and... became distracted," she said, tangling her fingers into Clair's hair.

"I'm glad to hear that," replied Clair and then leaned closer to whisper in Nel's ear, "You were rather distracting yourself."

Nel chuckled but then her expression sobered. As she spoke, she looked Clair in the eyes with that intense focus Clair had become so familiar with. "These past months..." She paused and shook her head. "Everything's changed so quickly. So much of what I believed has been reduced to rubble and I don't know what will happen next." Clair was about to speak, but Nel, seeing this, continued. "But I wanted you to know... Clair, in all this madness, you are what I count on," she said, holding Clair's face in her hands. "You are my solid ground, my foundation."

"Nel..." breathed Clair.

Nel's voice was taut with emotion as she went on. "And I know that the life we build out of all this will be wonderful... because you're a part of it."

Words failed Clair utterly then and all she could think to do was reach out to cup Nel's cheek. "Nel..." she whispered finally. "I love you." And as they had loved among the ruins in the gardens beyond the castle walls and fought in the ruins of Arias, they stood now among the ruins of the Chapel, knowing they would make of it something beautiful.

**THE END**

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A/N:** So here it is the final chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it– and hey don't be afraid to leave a review and tell me what you thought. Thanks!

And a final big thank you to my beta jenniferlupin!


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